Revelation 21:8 KJV "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death". The word "sorcerers" is Strong's G5332 - pharmakeus. The Greek word "pharmakeus" is related to the word pharmacy. Therefore many people jump to the conclusion that all medicine and doctors are witchcraft. Let's examine this deeper.

A website called "Bible Hub" is an excellent bible study tool that goes deep into the meanings of Greek and Hebrew (Syrian) words. Their page on the word pharmakeus says "5332 pharmakeús – a person using drug-based incantations or drugging religious enchantments; a practitioner who "mixes up distorted religious potions" like a sorcerer-magician. They try to "work their magic" by performing pseudo "supernatural" stunts, weaving illusions about the Christian life to use "powerful" religious formulas ("incantations") that manipulate the Lord into granting more temporal gifts (especially "invincible health and wealth" [by magic]). This has a "drugging" effect on the aspiring religious zealot, inducing them to think they have "special spiritual powers" (that do not operate in keeping with scripture). See 5331 (pharmakeía)."

So there you have it! It has nothing to do with physicians or with medicines that take hours/days/months to work. The original use of the Greek word "pharmakeus" and other related Greek words had to do with using drugs/potions for spiritual purposes. Not for healing purposes. (Any attempt at healing was only as a supernatural magical immediate healing by means of a spiritual magic and was not your usual healing attempt but was for the purpose of invincible health). The Native American Indians used to drink potions and smoke weeds/herbs to induce magical visions. The African tribes also did this. Even people in ancient times did the same. Pharmakeus/Sorcery is when people smoke pot/herbs or mix potions in order to induce demonic angel visitations and fake visions and imaginary spiritual revelations and hallucinations. This is a major problem in the "church" world today. Many people smoke pot, do mushrooms, LSD & other drugs & receive what they wrongfully perceive as a Revelation or vision from God/Jesus, when in fact, they opened a door to the demonic realm & have been deceived. Smoking pot in order to "hear" from God/Jesus is Sorcery & is of the devil. A true Follower of Jesus Christ doesn't need drugs or herbs to hear from God. A true Follower of Jesus does not take medicine in an attempt at invincible eternal life.

Recently, I looked at a local Spanish newspaper. I noticed some extremely satanic images in the paper. I asked a friend of mine that speaks/reads Spanish what these advertisements were for. He responded that they were for fortune tellers & for magic witchcraft spells of revenge to be put on people via herbs, etc! He said that it's common among rural Mexico & Mexican Indians. Evidently it's also common right here in America among the Mexican population. In fact, in my teenage years & early 20's I used to go to fortune tellers & one of them had me to bring sugar & other things for a love spell. I have since rebuked all of that & repented. What I have done in the past & repented of should not be held against me. I am using my personal testimony & things that I see in real life to describe different ways that Pharmakeus, in the way that is a real sin & listed in the book of Revelation, is active in our world today. It has nothing to do with non-magical medicine. Is using herbs for natural health sorcery? No. Then neither is modern medicine.

We understand that medicine is not magical. We understand that the medicine will not grant immediate healing by some pagan god. We are not attempting or expecting a magical spell/solution. Even the physician knows & understands that any healing will take time & is completely physical & not magical. Of course God Jesus can bless the medicine & can speed up healing. But even He is using the physical & not granting an immediate magical manifestation of healing in this case. When God does use the medicine for His purposes, it's not sorcery. The source of the healing is not from a demonic entity.

Let's study deeper to be sure.

Pharmakeus 5332 appears only in Revelation 21:8.
A very similar verse is found in Rev.22:15 KJV "For without are dogs, & sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie".

Here, "sorcerers" is Strong's G5333 - pharmakos. It still refers to "religious/spiritual incantations", not attempts at non-magical healing.

Now let's look in the scriptures for the words "physician" & "medicine":
Jer. 8:22 "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?"
Here, it is saying that there is a healing balm in the town of Gilead & that there are physicians there. This balm was a real balm, a mixture of herbs that was used for healing. It was administered by physicians who cared for the sick. It doesn't say anything evil or negative about the physicians or the use of the topical salve of herbs for healing. Of course, it is using this physical analogy to represent God/The Holy Spirit/Jesus. All bible scholars agree that this verse is pointing to Jesus Christ. It is asking why the people have not gone to God Almighty for their spiritual healing & deliverance. Why have they gone astray & gone after false gods. It is calling God a physician! It is calling God a healing salve. Why would it do so if healing salves are sorcery? Why would it do so if physicians/doctors are witches? If going to a physician is sorcery, then going to Jesus is sorcery & Jesus is a sorcerer. But we know that is not true! This is solid proof that going to a physician is not witchcraft.

Jer. 46:11 "Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured".
It is not saying that medicine is evil or witchcraft. It is not saying that medicine will never heal anyone. It is just declaring that the people were under Judgment from God & therefore would not receive help or healing from anything, not even from herbs.

Did you read the above scriptures in your personal paperback/hardback bible today or just only on this website?
If only online, I encourage you to please open your bible and read these verses both on our website and in your bible. There is power in reading the real bible. Also, did you pray before beginning to read about this specific subject today? If not, I encourage you to take the time now to pray for understanding of truth.

Matthew 9:12 "But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick".
Some people try to twist this verse to mean that we should never go to a doctor. Let's not take it out of context! Let's look at the surrounding verses.

Matthew 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The context & meaning of the verse is that Jesus is the Messiah, a physician who spiritually saves people. If we were already righteous saints, without sin, we would have no need for a Savior. He has come to save the lost. This verse does not teach that we cannot go to doctors or take medicine. It is a fact that if we are well, if we aren't sick, we do not need to go to the doctor. That is all this verse is saying. If we do not have need of salvation, then we don't need a Savior. But we do sin & we do need a Savior. When we are sick, we need a physician. In fact, this verse proves that it is acceptable to go to the physicians & again even calls Jesus a physician, which it would not do if going to a physician was sorcery.

Luke 4:23 "And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country".
Again, this verse doesn't say anything negative about physicians & even called Jesus an physician. Yes He is the Greatest Physician. Physician of physicians. King of kings, LORD of lords. He created the physicians. He gives them wisdom & knowledge.

Colossians 4:14 "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you".
Luke was a doctor/physician. It never condemns him for his occupation. It never says that he needed to repent of it. It never calls Luke a sorcerer.

Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones".
Here, medicine is not spoken evil of. It is speaking of natural medicine, a merry heart, but nevertheless it is not speaking of medicine in a negative sense.

Ezekiel 47:12 "And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine".
Speaking of natural medicine, but nevertheless not speaking of any kind of medicine in a negative sense.

Genesis 50:2 "And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel".
Joseph did not consider the physicians to be evil. Neither should we.

2 Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.
Here, it condemns Asa for not seeking the LORD first. It does not condemn the use of physicians. It is very clear that we should always pray first & seek divine healing from Jesus. I do not debate that. I always encourage people to seek healing from God first. We must put God first in all areas of our life. But sometimes we must eventually resort to going to his servants the physicians. God uses mankind. Many times God chooses to not use supernatural divine immediate deliverance or healing. Many times, God chooses to take us through the storms & help us to overcome rather than divine deliverance. God uses the natural things of this world, including physicians to accomplish His Will. Even as Moses had to appoint officers & judges to administer under him, God appoints human servants in all areas of life, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, Pastors & teachers & even physicians to help serve the physically sick. Yes, the people of God can also work miracles & administer physical healing, but sometimes we must to go a physical ailment specialist. This is part of God's appointed & ordained structure for human ailments.

Job 13:4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
This verse doesn't teach that all physicians are of no value or wicked. He is only speaking out of desperation & despair. To claim that it is teaching against physicians is to take it completely out of context.

Mark 5:26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
This woman had gone to many physicians, spent all her money & did not improve. It doesn't condemn her for having gone to the doctors. It doesn't say that she needed to repent of it. It only says that it had not helped her. This is sometimes the case. Doctors are not always miracle workers. Sometimes we do need a miracle. In no way, shape or form does this verse teach that we should never seek medical help. Ultimately all of our healing comes from God, even if we had to go to a doctor & take medicine. I personally have some very serious health problems. I sought & sought & sought for divine healing. But I eventually had to resort to taking medicine which greatly helped me & honestly, kept me alive. And there have also been times that I had to be in the hospital which again saved my life. If we are to say that going to a doctor or taking medicine is sorcery/witchcraft, then we must refuse all medical help, doctors, medicines, emergency rooms, hospitals, operations, ambulance, etc. There can be no compromise. There is no balancing to do. There is no wiggle room. Sorcery is sorcery. If physicians/medicines are sorcery, then we must put our foot down & resist all emergency medical help for ourselves & our family, children, wives, husbands, parents, grandparents, neighbors & anyone we witness in an accident of any kind!
If physicians/medicines = witchcraft, then you must fight any attempt of an emergency medic to save your life. You must fight him/them tooth & nail to prevent those witches from forcing witchcraft upon you. And you must fight emergency medics who are attempting to save lives at a car crash, before they force witchcraft upon poor innocent victims. Yet The Holy Spirit should be condemning you right now & saying that is wrong! We must help! We must get the people to the emergency room! Why? Because it is the right thing to do. Not wrong. Not sorcery, not witchcraft!

Problems with some Modern Medicine

Playing God & Going Too Far

Objection: The Symbol of the pole with 2 serpents is pagan.
Answer: Actually, the symbol of the pole with 2 serpents is biblical & came from God. A few hundred years ago, someone added the wings at the top of the pole. So the modern symbol is a corruption of a biblical one. It only goes to show how that mankind corrupts good things. It doesn't prove the entire medical profession as evil.

Objection: The Hippocratic oath pledges allegiance to false gods.
Answer: Yes, the original pagan "Hippocratic oath" did pledge allegiance or "swear by Apollo Physician & Asclepius, Hygieia & Panaceia and all the gods & goddesses". Evidently there were some evil doctors who were making a cult out of their profession. There are also cult leaders & cult members who are farmers, policemen, construction workers, etc. It doesn't prove the entire profession as evil. The oath has been changed & the vast majority of doctors do not take the pagan version of the Hippocratic oath. The Hippocratic oath is not required in order to be a physician. It is only a tradition used in some medical universities. Even in the medical universities that still carry some version of this tradition, the words no longer pledge allegiance to any pagan god or deity. Only very few still contain the evil words, & even then, it's not a requirement to say the oath. The chances that your local physician said a pagan/evil/demonic version of the Hippocratic oath is extremely low. If necessary, you may ask what version if any that he said.

Research on Hippocratic oath: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20221026170916/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath

Holy Spirit Discernment

Apocrypha

Sirach 18:19 "Learn before thou speak, and use physick or ever thou be sick".

The definition of "physick" or physic is physician or medicine. It should be considered with the more detailed writing above of 38:1-15.

Learn more about the Apocrypha here

Update: Aug. 17, 2015

Another Confirmation:

Another Confirmation:
In fact, now I am realizing something else too! When I write on paper, very often I use physician's shorthand! It's just a way of making notes quickly. In fact, I scribble a lot like a doctor. Plus in recent years & weeks, God has been leading me toward eventually providing medical assistance to people in the future during the Great Tribulation after the invasion. I am coming to the realization that God is spiritually ordaining me as a future physician! I will be a physician under Christ Jesus! He is the Physician of physicians of which I will be included. (Disclaimer: I have spoken only in future tense. I do not have a license to practice medicine & I do not claim to currently be a physician.)

Another Confirmation Aug.25, 2015:
I received a letter yesterday from someone who does not have the internet and did not know about my stand on this topic. He said that he had received a book about how to be a "medical missionary". Wow! A medical missionary would be a person who serves Jesus Christ by serving others in the medical field. This cannot be coincidence considering the current timing and topic at hand! Praise Jesus for His many confirmations!

More Edification Jan. 22, 2021

If you are still unsure or disagree, I simply ask that you please fast about it and pray about it in Jesus Name. Ask "Is it a sin to take medicine or to go to the doctors?", "Will a person burn in The Lake of Fire for going to the doctors and for taking medicine?"
Ask Jesus. Just ask Him.

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