JLM Ministries (JESUS my LORD, the true MAGIC in my life.

*THIS PAGE IS STILL BEING DEVELOPED*

Is There Life Beyond The Grave?

Harry Houdini (whose actual name was Erich Weiss) desperately wanted to communicate with his deceased mother. It was commonly believed in Houdini’s day (early 1900’s), as it still is, that the dead can communicate with the living. Though he sought the assistance of mediums, he was unable to “reach” her, and Houdini’s quest ended in grave disappointment. But his efforts were not for naught! The “world’s greatest magician” had discovered a hidden secret that both surprised and angered him! Using a vast array of “tricks” in their séances, the mediums deceived their customers into believing that the dead were actually communicating with them, preying on the sentiments and ignorance of the public. Outraged by their fraudulent practices, Houdini devoted his final years to exposing these charlatans.

Considering that Houdini was raised as a devout, Sabbath-keeping Jew, he should have been familiar with the Old Testament story about Saul’s visit to the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:3-25). Surely his early religious teachings taught him that spiritualism—communicating with the dead—was offensive to God, worthy of death under the old covenant (Leviticus 21:1).

As a life-long illusionist, I am well acquainted with the principles of misdirection and deception, and as a Christian, I am very concerned about the deceptive spell of spiritualism that Satan has cast on our world. This teaching has created confusion in the minds of Christians and non-Christians alike. People all around us are wondering: Where will I go when I die? What part of me will continue to exist? Can my deceased loved ones see me now? Are they trying to communicate with me? Is my present suffering causing my loved ones in heaven grief or pain? Are my friends really being tormented in hell? With questions like these burdening so many minds, is it any wonder our society is endlessly swallowing anti-depressants! All of these questions lead to the ultimate question: What really happens to a man when he dies? These questions are important and the answers reveal the truth about God’s nature and character.

And that is why Satan, the “master deceiver,” is ever striving to divert our attention from the Truth. He wants us to believe, for example, that God is cruel and vengeful, not loving, long-suffering and merciful. The last thing he wants us to do, of course, is consult the Bible, God’s revealed truth for man (John 16:13). He well knows that the Bible exposes his deceptive craft! God has forewarned us that the Devil’s playground is dangerous, and we are no match for him: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God.” (Eph. 6:12-13)

So before we begin our study, please take some time to pray, and invite God’s Spirit to guide your mind, and create a willing and submissive spirit within you.

A LIVING SOUL

In order for us to understand what happens to a man when he dies, we must first understand what man is; what is he made of and how did he come to be? The answer to those questions is found in the first chapter, of the first book, of the Bible. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 1:26; 2:7) This text is the foundation for understanding the nature of man. It tells us exactly what we are made of and how God formed us. According to God’s Word, the first man, Adam, was formed from the “dust of the ground.” His fleshly body contained a brain, a heart, and blood. But he wasn’t alive…yet. And then, God “breathed” into him the divine “breath of life” (which only comes from God) and man became a “living [or animated] soul.” Is that awesome, or what?! If only we could have been there to watch! I’m certain that the angels gathered tightly above the earth to witness Adam’s first breath—“breath-taking,” I’m sure!

The word “breath” is translated from the Hebrew word nasham which means “to blow.” That’s why Genesis says that God “breathed [or blew] into his nostrils.” God’s life-giving “breath” was the “spark of life” that caused Adam’s body to come alive—and he “became a living soul” (or “living being,” NIV). He was now a whole and complete person.

The divine “formula” for man is: Dust + Breath = Living Soul. I don’t think God could have made it any clearer.

The following illustration will help us visualize and understand the Creation-formula. A light bulb and electricity alone will not produce light. But if the electricity (God’s “breath”) enters and flows through the inside of the bulb (the body) the combination creates light (a “living soul”).

Now notice what the creation story did not say. It said nothing about God putting something (like, a soul) into Adam. There was no pre-existing soul; rather, God combined the DUST with His BREATH and man “became a living soul.” It’s just that simple! Man, like the light, did not exist until both elements were combined. Again, according to the Bible, God “formed man [the body] of the dust of the ground,” “breathed into [man’s] nostrils the breath of life,” and man “became a living soul.” We dare not add to or take away from His divine formula, lest we be guilty of twisting His word to create an erroneous doctrine! (Compare Revelation 22:18, 19)

I need to pause here and state that I am well aware that most people (and certainly the vast majority of Christians) believe that God put something tangible—a soul or spirit—inside man. But, I repeat, this is not what God has told us in His Word. Greek mythology went far in promoting the view that man was a sinful fleshly body containing an independent soul or spirit. And this view of man is still promoted today, through the media (television and movies) and the pulpit. But since we believe that God’s Word is Truth, we must accept what His word says: His “breath” filled the body that He had created from the “dust” of the earth, and man became a “living soul.” It’s simple enough for a child to understand.

SEPARATED FROM THE LIFE-SOURCE

“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed…[and] the tree of life [was] also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil…And the Lord God commanded the man, saying…‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’” (Genesis 2:8-9, 16-17)

Intimately connected to the Source of life, our first parents, Adam and Eve, enjoyed a state of life eternal. There was no interference in their relationship with the Creator. As a symbol of this eternal relationship, God bid them to eat freely from the “tree of life,” and “every tree of the garden” (verse 16), except one: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) God’s word was clear. Their allegiance to the Creator would be demonstrated by obeying this one commandment.

As we are all aware, while Eve was separated from her husband’s side, she came too close to the “tree of the knowledge,” where she was confronted by a dazzling serpent. The creature took full advantage of the moment, and mesmerized her with its deceptive words and appearance. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman [as his body slithered up against the hanging fruit]. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’…she took some and ate it…and [Adam also] ate it…and [then] they realized they were naked [ashamed and guilty].” (Genesis 3:1-7, NIV) Apparently, Eve became confused as she dialoged with the satanic creature for God had said nothing about “touching” the fruit (2:17). Seeing the serpent touch it only served to create doubt in her mind about God’s word. Clearly, we should never trust our senses over God’s Word!

Eve fell for the serpent’s deception. Adam knowingly and willingly followed suit. By that one seemingly small act, our first parents trusted the creature and disobeyed the Creator. Using his God-given free-will, man changed his allegiance from the Creator to the creature. Man had rejected truth and allowed rebellion towards God’s law (sin) to enter his mind. In so doing, He had severed his relationship with the Life-giver, and the curse of death was set in motion. He began to die that very day.

The rest is history. Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden. The “tree of life” was removed, and placed beyond the reach of sinful, mortal man (Genesis 3:23, 24; Revelation 22:1, 2). There was nothing “magical” about the tree or its fruit. But it represents eternal life. Immortality is a gift to man, dependent on obedience to the eternal principles of the Creator’s kingdom. Man can not be permitted to eat from it in his current sinful state.

All of this leads to the question: What happens to a person when he dies? God says: “You [will] return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Gen 3:19, NIV) Think back, for a moment, to the light bulb. If we turn the light switch off, cutting off the flow of electricity to the bulb, the light ceases to exist. The light doesn’t go someplace else, and it is critically important that we understand this.

When a person dies, God’s “breath,” the life-sustaining force, like the electricity, is cut off. Again, man’s soul ceases to exist at the moment that God’s “breath” is withdrawn. Nothing lives on someplace else. No soul lives on independent of the body, because Body + Breath = Soul. Death is simply the cessation of life. This is why God refers to man only as “dust of the ground,” and not a “soul;” the life-giving breath comes from God above. Thus, the biblical formula for death is: Dust – Breath = Corpse.

And still, the majority of Christian churches, like other world religions, believe that a spirit-like being resides in every person, and continues to live on independent of the deceased body. But, remember, at one time it was believed that the world was flat, until someone used a compass to prove otherwise! God has given us a compass—the Bible—to navigate our way through this and many other subjects and mysteries. Despite what scores of mortal humans have said about “crossing over” to the other side, we must trust what our Creator says about life after death. Naturally, the true Christian will desire to know everything that God has revealed and will accept the Creator’s word over the “creatures.” Eve accepted the creature’s word as truth. You and I can’t afford to repeat her mistake.

ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST

In light of what we have learned, I feel the need to pause here and mention the “good news” of Jesus Christ.

In His fore-knowledge, God knew that sin would enter our world, bringing death with it. So He set up a plan, in advance. Among the Trinity it was decided that through Jesus Christ man would have the opportunity to secure eternal life with God. Thus, Christ was “slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, NIV). God shared the plan of salvation with Adam and Eve before expelling them from the Garden: “And I will put enmity between you [serpent/Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he [Christ Jesus] will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NIV)

“Why was this plan necessary?” Because the consequences (or “wages”, Romans 6:23) of sin is separation from God, or death. In legal terms, sin is the transgression of God’s holy laws, the foundation and standard of His kingdom. Out of His love for us (John 1:1-3, 11-12), God, through Christ, came into this world as one of us, and, as a sinless one, not deserving of eternal death, He bore the penalty for all mankind. Offering Himself up as our substitute, He paid the price that we never could. And because of what He has done, all humanity can possess “everlasting life” (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:22). "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25, 26, NIV). “He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12, NKJV).

Yes, it is true! You can have eternal life, right now! Because of Jesus’ victory over sin and death, we can accept His resurrection power as our own (John 5:28, 29; 1 Peter 1:3; Acts 4:2, 33; 23:6; 24:21; Romans 1:4; Revelation 5:5,6). Through baptism, by immersion (rising from the watery “grave”), we testify to our faith in Christ’s power to raise us even now, to a new life in Him (Romans 6:4, 5). Even now we can experience His overcoming power over temptation and sin. Having been raised up in Him, we are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Believing that we now possess eternal life in Him, it is both our privilege and duty to live accordingly today, as we look forward to the great resurrection tomorrow: “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’” (verses 51-55, NIV)

And at the end of the millennial judgment (Revelation 20:2-7) “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” itself (1 Corinthians 15:26). And Jesus will see to this personally! (Revelation 20:14)

THE OLD TESTAMENT WRITERS SAID…

We began our study by looking closely at the creation of man. We learned that we are living souls, shaped from the “dust” of the earth and brought to life by God’s “breath.” And when His miraculous life-force is withdrawn the soul ceases to exist; we die and our bodies are laid in the grave.

Next, we will look at some key Old Testament statements about death.

· “When you take away their breath [Hebrew, ruwach], they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit [ruwach], they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” (Psalms 104:29-30; NIV) Like nasham (Genesis 2:7), the word ruwach means “breath” or “wind.” The Psalmist’s describes the nature of man in words that parallel those in the story of Creation. This consistency between writers serves to strengthen our confidence in the inspiration of God’s Word. Note how that the translators of the NIV elected to capitalize the word “Spirit.” This is appropriate, considering that 1) the Spirit is the active agent in Creation (Genesis 1:2), and 2) Jesus described the Spirit as being like the “wind” (John 3:8).

· “Remember him—before the silver cord is severed…and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit [ruwach; “breath”] returns to God who gave it. ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’” (Ecclesiastes 12:6, 7-8) Like his father David, Solomon also uses the language of Creation to describe man.

· “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men…When their spirit [ruwach] departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.” (Psalms 146: 3, 4, NIV) The New International Version could lead one to believe that a spirit-being leaves the body at death. But the King James Version accurately states that it is God’s “breath” that is cut off at death: “Put not your trust in [man]…His breath [ruwach] goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psalms 146:3, 4; KJV) Interestingly, we have the opposite case in the account of Rachel’s death, in Genesis 35:18. The KJV reads: “And it came to pass, as her soul [nephesh; “breath”] was in departing, (for she died)…” Once again, it sounds as if her soul left her body. But this time the NIV is more helpful, because it translates the word nephesh literally as “breath”: “As she breathed her last—for she was dying…” It is usually helpful and insightful to read multiple versions of the Bible when studying.

· Perhaps Job described man’s nature the best: “All the while my breath [ruwach] is in me, and the spirit [neshamah; “to blow”] of God is in my nostrils.” (Job 27:3) When we take all the descriptions above into account, we can see why man is described as just a “fleeting shadow” (Job 14:2, NIV), a “passing breeze” (Psalms 78:39) or a “mist” that “vanishes” (James 4:14, NIV).

· “For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun...Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10 NIV). We are plainly told that the “dead know nothing.” Their thoughts and feelings have “perished.” They lie unconscious “in the grave.” “As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more” (Job 7:9,10, NIV).

· “For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? And I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-22; NASB). It is God’s “breath” that sustains all living creatures, man and animal. Consequently, the fate of all His creatures is the same—they “all return to the dust.” Thus, the writer asks the obvious: “Who among man ‘knows’ anything different than this?” The correct answer is, “No one.” Personally, I believe that we confuse our children when we tell them that people go directly to heaven and pets are in the grave. “Who knows” that this is the case?

· “So man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep…If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it.” (Job 14:12, 21, NIV) More than 50 times, death is called “sleep” in the Bible. Here are a few examples: the prophet Nathan told King David “When they days be fulfilled,…thou shalt sleep with thy fathers” (2 Samuel 7:12; see 1 Kings 2:10); David wrote, “I will sleep in death” (Psalms 13:3, NIV); in his description of the End, Daniel wrote, “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake” (12:2); and, the apostle Peter wrote, “For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been” (2 Peter 3:4, HCSB; see also Matthew 9:24; John 11:11, 14; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Thus, under inspiration, the Bible writers describe death as “sleep,” a temporary unconsciousness. “Resting” in the grave, the dead are unaware of anything that is happening, either here or in heaven. Think about this: are you afraid to fall asleep? Of course not. And nor should we be afraid of death’s sleep. Those who have died in Christ are asleep, waiting for His resurrection trumpet call! (John 5:28, 29; 11:23, 24; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17)

· “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence” (Psalms 115:17). The Psalmist has blended two separate thoughts here. First, he speaks about “praise” to the Lord, something that the righteous do. Then, he mentions the “silence” of the grave. The righteous, like the wicked, “sleep” until Christ’s coming. It is comforting to know that the dead are at rest “in silence,” untroubled and undisturbed. And since death is just like sleep, Jesus’ second coming will only seem like a moment away for all who have died in Him (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

WHAT ABOUT HELL?

Until now, you may have thought that the wicked (those who have rejected the prompting of Christ’s Spirit) went straight to hell when they died, where they are being tormented in endless flames. But that, my friend, is exactly what Satan—the “father of lies”—wants everyone to believe!

Allow me to ask you a few questions.

Would a loving God really punish someone (for their sins) without first giving them their “day in court”? (See 2 Peter 2:9) Wicked human beings are more merciful and just than that! On earth, the charges of the accused are opened for a jury’s review before one is sentenced. And then, consider everything that our legal system goes through before sentencing a man to life! Are we really to believe that our heavenly Father treats our eternal destination flippantly? (See John 3:16) I don’t believe so!

Now think about this. Suppose that a 50-year-old man, in Jesus’ day, had rejected Christ’s offer of eternal life, and then died. Has he been suffering 2000 years for his decision? Is this really what a compassionate Creator would do? We are horrified and outraged when we learn that a person has been enslaved and abused in someone’s basement for years. Are we to believe that our loving Father in heaven is a 1000 times crueler than that?

Undoubtedly, it is erroneous thoughts like these that lead people to declare the worst disasters as “acts of God”! It’s no wonder that people use the expression “mother nature” instead of “heavenly Creator.” Satan must be delighted to see how these falsehoods injure God’s holy character.

So, let’s get to the facts! If there are no ghostly “souls” flying around, anywhere, then no one can be writhing in pain in hellfire! In fact, based on what the Bible says, I don’t believe that there is a “hot spot” called “hell”! (And I think that the cartoon of a little, red devil with horns only betrays our belief in such a place!)

According to God, the dead—all the dead, righteous or wicked—are in the grave; the word for grave is sheol in Hebrew (Old Testament) and hades in Greek (New Testament). (You have probably come across these words in other literature, especially Greek mythology.) The Psalmist wrote, “What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave?” (Psalms 89:48, NIV; Numbers 16:30) Jacob, the great biblical patriarch, knew his son was in the grave: “Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son [Joseph] many days…‘No,’ he said, ‘in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son.’” (Genesis 37:34-35, NIV)

“If this is true, then how do we explain David’s statement in Psalms 30:1-3,” you ask: “I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.” (NIV) If we didn’t know better, we might think that David had died and came back from the dead (like Jesus’ friend Lazarus). But the Bible says no such thing. In his usual poetic manner, David acknowledges that God had protected him and spared his life. More than once, David was “a dead man!” As a shepherd he encountered a lion; then, the giant Goliath; later, the violent king, Saul; and, many heathen enemies. But he never died. Thus, he is speaking figuratively when he says that he came “up from the grave.” He had been spared from the “pit” of death and he is praising the Lord for His merciful protection. The “pit” is another word for the grave: “What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?” (Psalms 30:9, NIV; Job 33:18, 24; Psalms 28:1).

As we have learned, the grave is nothing more than a temporary place of rest. Because of Christ’s victorious death and resurrection, the grave has no power over those who are asleep “in Him,” our redeemer (Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 15:17-20, 22; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). One of the most wonderful promises in the Bible come from the prophet Isaiah, who foretells the day when the redeemed will arise from the grave to praise their Creator and Redeemer: “He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces…In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation’…But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to [“cast out”, KJV] her dead.” (Isaiah 25:8-9; 26:19, NIV). What a day that will be! And better yet, the story doesn’t end there! At the end, “death and hell”—the grave and all it represents—will be “cast in the lake of fire” and destroyed! (Revelation 20:14) I’m sure that God can hardly wait! (I’ll say more about hell later when we review the New Testament texts.)

SPIRITUALISM

Before we conclude our study of the Old Testament, I want to return to the story about King Saul’s visit to the witch of Endor.

God had striven long with Saul’s unfaithfulness, before turning His ear away. Now, facing war, and desperate for advise, Saul decided—get this!—to consult a medium! (1 Samuel 28:3-25) Imagine the headlines in Israel’s Daily News: “Israel’s Leader Consults Witch For Military Advice!” Saul knew better, of course! He had rid the land earlier of those who practiced such things (verse 3).

During the spiritualistic séance, the witch saw a spirit “coming up out of the ground” (verse 13)—supposedly, the prophet Samuel’s. Now stop and think about that for a moment. Are we to believe that a God-forbidden medium has power over those who have died in the Lord? Or, even better, that God has changed His mind and is now willing to respond to Saul at the height of his wicked actions? God forbid! As some Bible versions suggest (KJV, AMP), Saul only “perceived” this to be the prophet Samuel. Judging by the witch’s response—“a god [terrifying superhuman being]” (AMP)—the two wicked individuals may have come face-to-face with the great Deceiver himself! (2 Corinthians 11:14) Soon after, Saul’s life came to a tragic end (1 Samuel 31:4). And the closing record of his life reads: “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death” (1 Chronicles 10:13-14, NIV).

As we have discovered, the erroneous teaching that the “soul” continues to live after man dies is the foundation for spiritualism, the belief that the dead can communicate with us. God admonished His people, “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them” (Leviticus 19:31, NIV). The word “defile” means to “pollute,” to become spiritually “unclean.” This word is used in relation to the Old Testament temple-sanctuary, its priests, and God’s people (the Israelite nation was set apart as “a kingdom of priest”; Exodus 19:6). To protect His people, God commanded that anyone participating in spiritualism be “put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.” (Leviticus 21:1; NIV) Houdini—trained up in the Old Testament scriptures—would have saved himself much personal grief had he only trusted God’s Word as truth. “Believe in the Lord your God…believe his prophets…” (2 Chronicles 20:20) The fact that he only encountered charlatans and not true spiritists, as Saul did, is beside the point. God specifically said, “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-16, NIV)

Despite how popular spiritualism has become, even in the Church, it is no less offensive to God today. Christians, who are under the “new covenant” (Hebrews 8:6; 12:24), are God’s “holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:6). Like ancient Israel, we should not have any association with this demonic falsehood (Nehemiah 13:29), and here are a couple of reasons why.

1. Spiritualism was conceived out of Satan’s original lie—“You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4, NIV). A demonic doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 13:9), it perpetuates the lie that man is immortal, “like God” (1 Timothy 3:5; 6:16). Perhaps Reinhold Niebuhr said it best: “The sin of man is that he seeks to make himself God.” This, as you may recall, was Lucifer’s goal! (Isaiah 14:12-14) Yes, Satan’s original lie has infiltrated every part of our society, in numerous forms. The entertainment media (television, movies, etc.) continues to reiterating that first lie. And as a consequence, the disillusioned masses are being set-up for Satan’s final end-time deception. (See Revelation 13:13, 14; 16:14)

2. Spiritualism makes a mockery of sin. Since, according to this erroneous teaching, sin doesn’t really result in death, man is led to believe that he can continue in sin and still find himself in heaven at the end. The underlying message is, “You don’t need to repent. You can disobey God and live!” This theory suggests we need not rely on Jesus’ strength to overcome sin (Jude 24), or live victoriously in Him because there really is no need to be “born again.” Thus, the “good news” of salvation isn’t really all that good! God have mercy!

I conclude our study of the Old Testament with the inspired words from Isaiah: “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God [instead]? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony [the Old Testament scriptures]! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.” (Isaiah 8:19-20, NIV)

This page is not complete. Please visit again!

James L. Merrills, M. Div.

Send questions or comments to: e-mail: magic@mr-jim.com
Last updated Oct. 26, 2008