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Ancient and Modern Spiritualism
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Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices made to the dead” (
Psalm 106:28
),
that is, offered to the dead.
In nearly every system of heathenism, the dead were believed
to reveal their will to human beings, and also, when consulted, to
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give them counsel. Even in so-called Christian lands, the practice of
talking with beings claiming to be the spirits of the dead has become
widespread. Spirit beings sometimes appear in the form of deceased
friends and tell personal experiences from their lives and do things
that they did while alive. In this way they lead people to believe that
their dead friends are angels. For many people, what they hear from
this supposed dead loved ones has greater weight than the Word of
God.
Many regard spiritualism as a hoax and its phenomena as fake.
But while it is true that the results of trickery have often been passed
off as genuine, there have also been striking evidences of supernatu-
ral power. And many who reject spiritualism as human deceit will be
led to admit its claims when they are confronted with manifestations
that they cannot explain.
Modern spiritualism and ancient witchcraft—both claiming com-
munion with the dead as their most important principle—are based
on that first lie by which Satan deceived Eve in Eden: “You will not
surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it ... you will
be like God.” (
Genesis 3:4, 5
). Based on falsehood, both modern
spiritualism and ancient witchcraft are from the father of lies.
God said: “The dead know nothing. ... Nevermore will they
have a share in anything done under the sun.” (
Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6
).
“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his
thoughts perish.” (
Psalm 146:4
KJV). The Lord declared to Israel:
“The person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute
himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut
him off from his people.” (
Leviticus 20:6
).
The “familiar spirits” were not the spirits of the dead, but evil
angels, the messengers of Satan. The psalmist, speaking of Israel,
says that “they even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to
demons,” and in the next verse he explains that they sacrificed them
“to the idols of Canaan.” (
Psalm 106:37, 38
). In their supposed
worship of the dead, they were actually worshiping demons.