464
The Great Controversy
of lust, the powers of mind and soul are made subject to the animal
propensities, and Satan exultingly sweeps into his net thousands who
profess to be followers of Christ.
But none need be deceived by the lying claims of spiritualism.
God has given the world sufficient light to enable them to discover the
snare. As already shown, the theory which forms the very foundation
of spiritualism is at war with the plainest statements of Scripture. The
Bible declares that the dead know not anything, that their thoughts
have perished; they have no part in anything that is done under the sun;
they know nothing of the joys or sorrows of those who were dearest to
them on earth.
Furthermore, God has expressly forbidden all pretended commu-
nication with departed spirits. In the days of the Hebrews there was
a class of people who claimed, as do the spiritualists of today, to
hold communication with the dead. But the “familiar spirits,” as these
visitants from other worlds were called, are declared by the Bible to
be “the spirits of devils.” (Compare
Numbers 25:1-3
;
Psalm 106:28
;
1 Corinthians 10:20
;
Revelation 16:14
.) The work of dealing with
familiar spirits was pronounced an abomination to the Lord, and was
solemnly forbidden under penalty of death.
Leviticus 19:31
;
20:27
.
The very name of witchcraft is now held in contempt. The claim that
men can hold intercourse with evil spirits is regarded as a fable of the
Dark Ages. But spiritualism, which numbers its converts by hundreds
of thousands, yea, by millions, which has made its way into scientific
circles, which has invaded churches, and has found favor in legislative
bodies, and even in the courts of kings—this mammoth deception
is but a revival, in a new disguise, of the witchcraft condemned and
prohibited of old.
If there were no other evidence of the real character of spiritualism,
it should be enough for the Christian that the spirits make no difference
[557]
between righteousness and sin, between the noblest and purest of
the apostles of Christ and the most corrupt of the servants of Satan.
By representing the basest of men as in heaven, and highly exalted
there, Satan says to the world: “No matter how wicked you are; no
matter whether you believe or disbelieve God and the Bible. Live as
you please; heaven is your home.” The spiritualist teachers virtually
declare: “Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and
He delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?”
Malachi