Are You Interpreting Omens? Examining ‘Reading Signs’ in the Church

Have you ever noticed how often Christians today talk about “seeing signs”? Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “I keep seeing 11, God must be speaking to me,” or perhaps, “I keep coming across the word ‘transfer’ everywhere I turn, so I know God is trying to tell me something.” In some church circles, especially within the hypercharismatic movement, this is very common. Dreams, repeated numbers, coincidences, or even certain words are treated like coded messages from heaven waiting to be unlocked.

But what exactly is going on here? Where did this way of listening for God’s voice come from, and why is it so appealing to many Christians today? That’s what we’re going to explore together in this article.

What Is Going On Here?

Before I continue, I think it’s helpful to step back and recognize that reading signs and events is nothing new. Throughout history, pagan peoples and nations have always tried to gain secret knowledge from a higher power or from the spiritual world by looking for hidden messages in ordinary things.

This practice has a name: omen reading, omen interpreting, or divination by omens. At its core, it is the attempt to interpret random events or patterns as messages about the future, divine will, or hidden realities that people could not otherwise know. In the ancient world, this took many forms.

For instance, the Babylonians studied the stars and celestial events to predict the future. The Romans believed in augury, where priests interpreted the flight patterns of birds to discern the intentions of the gods. Even in parts of Asia and here in Africa, people still interpret the appearance and behavior of various animals as either good luck or bad luck.

At the heart of all these practices is the assumption that the universe is full of coded messages that the wise and spiritual can decode.

Now, I want to gently submit to you that what we are seeing in the church today, where repeated numbers, certain words, dreams, or coincidences are taken as personal revelations from God, bears more than a striking resemblance to this age-old practice of interpreting omens. The packaging may look different since it’s framed in Christian language, but the underlying mindset is the same.

What Omen-Reading Looks Like in the Church Today

To help you see what I mean, let’s look at some examples of how this is playing out among believers today:

• Numbers and Patterns – Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “Every time I look at the clock, it’s 3:33. God must be confirming Jeremiah 33:3 to me.” Repeated numbers, whether on clocks, receipts, license plates etc., are often treated like divine winks from heaven.
  
• Unusual Coincidences – Little happenings in everyday life, like seeing a certain color, animal, or object multiple times, are given spiritual weight. Someone might say, “Three people mentioned the word ‘open door’ to me this week. God must be telling me to take that new job.”
  
• Dreams and Mental Pictures – dreams or even fleeting images in someone’s mind are interpreted as coded revelations that need to be unlocked. For example, it’s not unusual to hear someone say, “If you dream of eating, it means someone is bewitching you,” or “If you see yourself pregnant in a dream, it means Something new is about to be birthed in your life.”
  
• Natural Events – Take, for instance, the recent blood moon eclipse. Social media was flooded with voices declaring it a prophetic sign of coming judgment or a shift in the spiritual atmosphere. Instead of seeing it as a natural phenomenon that God designed into creation, many interpreted it as a secret message from heaven to be decoded.
• Bibliomancy – This is where someone randomly flips open their Bible, points to a verse, and takes it as God’s direct word for their situation, regardless of the original context or meaning of the passage. It’s essentially treating the Bible more like a fortune-telling device than the living, inspired Word of God meant to be read and understood in context.
• Animals –  In some prophetic circles, leaders even provide symbolic dictionaries of sorts.. For instance, a “rat in your house” might be said to symbolize the spirit of poverty, while a “slug in your compound” is taken to mean stagnation or delay.
  

Interestingly, some will quote Proverbs 25:2 to defend doing this:

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out.”

At first glance, this might seem to justify the idea that God hides secret messages in the world and that it’s our job to uncover them. But that’s not what the verse means. In its context, this proverb speaks about the contrast between God’s infinite wisdom and human limitation, and the noble task of rulers (or “kings”) to seek understanding in matters of justice and governance diligently.

God is far greater and higher than we are (Isaiah 55:8–9). There are things about His nature, His plans, and His purposes that are beyond our understanding (Romans 11:33). God reveals some things to us like His power and goodness through creation (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:18–20) but He also chooses to keep some things hidden (Deuteronomy 29:29; Isaiah 45:15), as we’ve already seen. And that’s part of what makes Him glorious. He alone is all-knowing and all-powerful, and He has every right to reveal or conceal as He chooses.

On the other hand, it is honorable for wise rulers to search out what can be known. This is because Kings were expected to make just decisions by investigating matters thoroughly so that they could govern rightly (Proverbs 11:14; 18:13, 17). [1]

Why It Appeals to Many Believers

It’s easy to see why this draws people in. Most of us long for a close, personal relationship with God. We want to know that He sees us, hears us, and cares about the details of our lives. So when we think He’s leaving little “clues” in numbers, words, or coincidences, it feels like proof that He’s paying special attention to us.

There’s also a sense of excitement that comes with it. Instead of an ordinary walk with God through prayer, Scripture, and fellowship, every moment of life can feel like a treasure hunt. Spotting a repeated number or hearing a word echoed in different conversations makes the spiritual life feel more adventurous, more mysterious.

On top of that, we live in a world that prizes instant answers. And if we’re honest, we often carry that same expectation into our walk with God. Especially when we want clarity about His will. We want it delivered on demand. And as such, waiting on God in prayer, studying His Word, or seeking wise counsel can feel slow and unsatisfying. But finding “signs” in everyday events promises a quicker, more direct way to get guidance.

And it doesn’t help that many false teachers have made this kind of thinking even more popular. In countless churches and online ministries, people are being taught to look for hidden signs as a way to unlock “prophetic insight” or discover the spiritual causes behind their problems.

These teachers often prey on people’s pain and confusion, telling them that if they can just “discern the signs” or “decode what God is saying through these patterns,” they’ll find the key to their breakthrough, healing, or success. Some have even gone as far as writing entire books and producing courses that teach believers how to interpret omens as if this were a legitimate form of Christian spirituality.

The Biblical Warning Against Interpreting Omens

But as appealing as omen-reading is, the Bible has some very clear things to say about it, and they may surprise us.

In the Old Testament, when God was preparing Israel to enter the Promised Land, He gave them specific instructions about how they were to worship Him and how they were NOT  to follow the practices of the nations around them. One of those forbidden practices was interpreting omens:

“You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes.” (Leviticus 19:26)

And again in Deuteronomy:

“There shall not be found among you… anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens… For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18:10–12)

Why was God so strong about this? Because omen-reading pulls our attention away from the clear, trustworthy Word He has already given us, and it pushes us toward guesswork and uncertainty. Scripture reminds us that there are some things God simply keeps hidden in His providence, and others He has clearly revealed for us to know and obey:

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)

This verse ought to give such freedom. We don’t have to spend our lives straining to decode patterns and coincidences, worried that we might miss God’s voice if we overlook a number on a clock or a word on a billboard. The Lord has already spoken clearly in His Word, and what He wants us to know is not hidden; it’s already revealed.

The Danger of Interpreting Omens

On the surface, interpreting omens may seem innocent and even harmless. But when we pause and look deeper, we begin to see the real dangers behind it. The first is that it draws us into superstition.

In truth, this is no different from the “old wives’ tales” that Paul warned Timothy about (1 Timothy 4:7). And for us in Africa, it mirrors the same superstitious beliefs our ancestors held, beliefs we once laughed off as weird or backward. 

Think about someone who refuses to cross paths with a black cat, or who believes that hearing an owl hoot near your house means death is coming. It seems irrational and even ridiculous, right? Yet when Christians assign meaning to random numbers, words, dreams, or natural events, we are stepping into the same kind of superstition, just dressed up in Christian language.

Superstitions breed fear. They keep us on edge, always wondering if something is a sign, or if something bad is about to happen because we saw the “wrong” thing or had the “wrong” kind of dream. It’s in this way that superstition robs us of the simplicity and joy of the gospel. Our focus shifts from resting in the finished work of Jesus and the sufficiency of His Word to the endless task of decoding signs.

Beyond this, interpreting omens also opens the door wide to deception. Scripture is clear that God does not endorse this practice. Therefore, if He has forbidden it, then we can be certain that the “insight” or “revelation” people think they are receiving is not from Him. And if it is not from Him, there are only two other sources left: our own imagination, or worse yet, deceptive spirits working to lead us astray. 

This is why interpreting omens is so spiritually dangerous. It may feel like drawing close to God, but in reality, it draws us away from Him and into a realm where fear, confusion, and deception thrive.

At the heart of it, omen-reading is simply another form of divination, because it is seeking hidden knowledge apart from God’s appointed means. And Scripture tells us clearly that those who practice such things cannot please the Lord.

How God Truly Speaks to His People

If omen-reading is not the way God intends to guide His people, then how does He lead us? The good news is that God hasn’t left us guessing. He is not silent, and He has not hidden His will in cryptic signs or secret codes. He has given us everything we need to know Him and follow Him with confidence.

The primary way God speaks to His people today is through His Word. Scripture is living and active (Heb. 4:12) and fully sufficient to equip us for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16–17). We don’t have to search for hidden meanings in numbers or dreams; God’s voice is already clear on the page.

At the same time, God has not left us to read His Word in our own strength. Through the Holy Spirit, He applies truth to our hearts. The Spirit gives us wisdom and understanding (Eph. 1:17), helps us remember what Christ taught (John 14:26), convicts us of sin, and strengthens us to obey. Far from encouraging us to read omens, the Spirit enables us to walk faithfully in what God has already revealed.

Of course, not every decision in life comes with a Bible verse attached. But that does not mean we are left in the dark. God invites us to seek wisdom from Him (James 1:5), to lean on Him in prayer (Prov. 3:5–6), and to listen to the counsel of other believers (Prov. 15:22). In this way, we are able to make choices with confidence because God promises to guide those who trust Him.

Through Scripture, we learn that God’s providence is at work in every detail of our lives. Nothing happens by accident. But that does not mean that we should treat His providence like a puzzle we must solve, either. Instead, we are invited to rest in the assurance that He is sovereign and working all things together for the good of those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).

To learn more about the providence of God, please read God’s Divine Providence: What it is and Why it Matters

Conclusion: A Call Back to God’s Word

Interpreting omens can feel exciting. It promises a sense of closeness with God, a spiritual adventure where every detail of life might hold a hidden message. But in reality, it is only a form of sanctified superstition. It leaves us chasing after signs while neglecting the sure and steady voice of God that is already available to us.

The beautiful truth is that we don’t need to strain our eyes for numbers on a clock, repeat words in conversations, or decode strange coincidences. God has spoken clearly, fully, and finally in His Word and through His Son. What He wants us to know is not hidden—it is revealed. His Word is enough to guide us, His Spirit is faithful to help us, His providence is trustworthy, and His Son is more than sufficient.

So instead of looking for God in omens, let’s return to the place where He has promised to be found. Open your Bible, lean on His Spirit, walk with His people, and fix your eyes on Christ. There, you will discover the joy of hearing the living God speak clearly and reliably to His children. That is far better than any secret sign we could ever hope to find.

Related: Should Christians Look Outside the Bible to Discern God’s Will?

Endnotes

1. What does Proverbs 25:2 mean? https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/25/Proverbs-25-2.html