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Pharaoh’s Sorcerers & New Age Counterfeits
By Doreen Virtue, author of From Counterfeit to Christ: A Handbook for Women Who Were Saved Out of Deception (available FREE through Kindle Unlimited at https://a.co/d/5yFUWAe)
I’m often asked about the counterfeits which make the New Age so deceptive. Practices and teachings can appear to be helpful and good, yet they’re empty, hollow, and demonic. Worst of all, they point away from the true saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The devil is a counterfeiter, as we see clearly in the story of the plagues in Exodus 7 and 8. When God sent Moses and Aaron to demand Israel’s release, the magicians imitated several of the signs and wonders, producing serpents, blood, and frogs. Yet their power quickly faltered, and they confessed, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).
This confrontation exposes that Satan is a deceiver, not a creator. His demons can imitate, distort, or counterfeit God’s work, but they can’t replicate His sovereign power. Their abilities are not only deceptive, but they’re also limited.
This same sort of deceptive counterfeit appears in New Age practices such as divination and manifestation methods which falsely teach that we can be like God, just like the serpent lied to Eve in Genesis 3. Satan’s counterfeits can’t reproduce the fullness of God’s miraculous power. Satan dangles the promise that we can predict and control the future, yet his New Age practices like astrology, horoscopes, tarot cards, pendulums, and mediums are all steeped in demonic deception.
Pharaoh’s Magicians in Exodus
When Aaron cast down his staff and it became a serpent, Pharaoh’s magicians did the same by their secret arts (Exodus 7:11-12). Yet Aaron’s staff swallowed theirs, showing God’s superiority to their counterfeits.
When Moses turned the Nile into blood, the magicians copied the feat (Exodus 7:22), although they made matters worse because they couldn’t reverse the plague. They also produced frogs (Exodus 8:7). But when Moses brought forth gnats, the magicians tried and failed. They admitted defeat: “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:18–19).
This pattern shows that Satan working through the sorcerers could only counterfeit God’s miracles to a degree. The magicians could imitate some signs but not all. Their imitations never relieved suffering, but only added to it. Their magic was limited, and it collapsed in the face of God’s true power. God alone could both send and remove plagues. The story reveals that while occult powers are real, they’re counterfeit and confined.
Archaeology and historical records confirm that ancient Egypt was steeped in magic, or heka, which they considered a divine force woven into the fabric of creation. Egyptian priests practiced ritual incantations, spells, and symbolic acts to manipulate reality, control nature, and try to influence their false gods. Amulets, wands, and written spells have been uncovered by archaeologists, showing how magic was integrated into daily life in ancient Egypt.
Pharaoh’s magicians were high-ranking religious officials whose power was tied to the Egyptian worldview. Their confrontation with Moses would have been considered by them to be a cosmic contest between Yahweh the true Creator, and the false gods of Egypt. God’s triumph over their magic was His declaration of the truth that He alone rules heaven and earth.
The Bible consistently warns that false prophets and sorcerers can perform signs. Jesus cautioned, “False christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). Paul wrote that the lawless one would come “by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
These passages teach that we need to be cautious about supernatural phenomena, because some wonders are satanic counterfeits, designed to mimic God’s work and lead people astray. The miracles of Pharaoh’s magicians were demonic imitations, permitted by God for a time to reveal their limitations. They could only go so far before their power broke down in the face of God’s sovereignty.
Parallels with New Age Deceptions
Satan can imitate some things, but he obviously can’t reproduce all of God’s miracles. Pharaoh’s magicians could mimic staffs, blood, and frogs; however, they couldn’t create gnats from dust, nor could they ever bring deliverance. In the same way, New Age practitioners may counterfeit visions, sensations, and temporary healings. However, they can’t replicate the fullness of God’s miraculous work, which brings true transformation, forgiveness, and eternal life.
New Age spirituality is filled with claims of healing and supernatural power. Energy healers, Reiki practitioners, and psychic surgeons promise relief by channeling unseen forces. Channelers claim to receive wisdom from spirits, while occult practitioners boast of manifesting reality through ritual. At times, people report real physical sensations, visions, or temporary relief.
Yet God’s Word makes clear these parallels to Pharaoh’s magicians:
- Imitation without redemption: Just as the magicians multiplied frogs but couldn’t remove them, New Age practices may produce experiences but can’t save or redeem. Only Jesus Christ saves.
- Reliance upon hidden arts: Pharaoh’s sorcerers and New Age practitioners both pridefully rely upon “secret knowledge” (cf. Genesis 3) and the manipulation of unseen powers, in contrast to God’s open revelation.
- Temporary and deceptive: Occult power can seem flashy, showy and impressive, yet they are seen as counterfeits when brought to the true light of the Gospel.
- Limited scope: Just as the magicians couldn’t counterfeit every miracle, New Age practices can only mimic so much. They certainly can’t do what only Jesus can do: redeem, forgive, and save sinners. In fact, the New Age denies that sin even exists, and claims there’s no need for redemption or repentance.
What looks like healing or insights is often spiritual bondage. What feels like light is often Satan disguising himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
When the magicians admitted, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19), they confessed that God’s power is unique and unrivaled. Their admission echoes throughout Scripture. In Luke 11:20, Jesus said, “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
This phrase highlights both the supremacy and exclusivity of God’s power. Counterfeits may imitate in part, but they can’t rival the full reality of God’s work. New Age miracles crumble before the authority of Christ.
The battle in Pharaoh’s court clearly revealed two kingdoms:
- On one side stood the magicians, representing satanic deception, counterfeit power, and bondage.
- On the other stood Moses and Aaron, representing the living God, whose power brings both judgment and deliverance.
Today the same battle continues with the New Age promising healing, abundance, power, and enlightenment through hidden arts. These are the modern heirs of Pharaoh’s magicians whose power was both counterfeit and limited. The finger of God, revealed supremely in Christ, exposes their fraud and offers true freedom.
As God’s Word declares, “The kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). This is the only power in truth. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to those who believe (Romans 1:16). Why would we look anywhere else?
For more from Doreen please visit her page at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube.
