Thursday, August 30, 2012

Christians and Communicating With The Dead - Part 2

By Lisa Grace


Last week I received some questions regarding the fact that the dead sleep and some good Christians mentioned their Biblical references to support their beliefs, even though Jesus Christ who is the ultimate authority said the dead sleep.

These are logical and good points they brought up. Why then would the Bible and its inspired authors mention ghosts in direct opposition to Rabbinical and Christ’s teaching of the time?
Let’s fast forward first to modern times to get an understanding of how the satan uses misdirection to further his goals and dilute our effectiveness in spiritual warfare.

The Beloit College Study
The Beloit college study just came out a few weeks ago. It is administered to incoming college freshman every year and its results give a fascinating look into the new generation of Americans grasp on culture. http://www.beloit.edu/irap/collegedata/cirp/
Some of the findings that I found disturbing as a Bible believer is today’s college freshman do not know where such phrases as “forbidden fruit” and “the handwritings on the wall” come from. They do not know the “forbidden fruit” is a reference to Satan offering it to Eve, on e of the basic tenents of understanding how sin entered the world; nor do they know the writing on the wall was from the disembodied hand writing on the wall the phrase “Mene, Mene, Tekel, u-Pharsin” (Daniel Chapter 5) to King Balshazzar.
Why is it important that college kids no longer understand Biblical references?

In the Garden of Eden
God created the universe and all there in. He also created the concept of time,which is one of the basic natural laws our universe is stuck in.
Heaven exists outside of time in eternity, hence the concept of forever (no time).
This world is a shadow of heaven.
God did not create ghosts (the dead sleep), because God did not bring death into the world. He finished Creation on the sixth day. God did not create ghosts. Satan can create nothing, therefore ghosts do not exist.
Now, supernatural creatures do exist and that is what we are seeing and interpreting as ghosts.

Werewolves, Vampires, and Ghosts
These are all made up creatures and have their roots in Roman and Greek mythology. Early time Bible believers were exposed to these myths and naturally adopted them. Jesus always knew demons were fallen angels. He knew what people called “ghosts” were manifestations of different types of fallen angels or if you choose to call the disembodied ones, demons. There are several different types of Angels mentioned in the Bible and the fallen ones appear differently here on this earth too. Reference:
People through out the centuries have confused the real supernatural world and what is in it because of incorporating popular myths of the time. One of the oldest most popular myths is confusing demons with those who are departed.
Saul and His, Ahem, “Ghost” (really a demon/fallen angel)
1 Samuel 28:7 - Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

Remember, the devil and mediums are spreading lies. The devil is the great deceiver. Saul commits many sins in this story, swearing by the Lord, visiting a witch, etc…
He admits the Lord has left him in verse 15. This story was not meant to “prove “ghosts” but to show how far Saul had fallen away from God that he could even believe in “ghosts”. It was to show how you can be deceived. If you read this same story from the perspective you know he is being deceived by a witch and demons pretending to be a “ghost” you can see how far outside the will of God he is. Always turn to GOD not witches or mediums.
It is not Samuel he is talking to, but a demon pretending to be Samuel.

A witch can not call up a prophet, only demons/fallen angels. And then only to the extent they are willing to play along in the deception. When you say a witch can call up the spirit of a person, you are insinuating she has power that only God has. You are elevating them to the level a god.
People believed in ghosts back in those days, just as they do now. It is a false teaching.
John 11:11 Even Jesus said the dead sleep.

The other “proof” people say to combat Jesus’ knowledge that dead sleep is to bring up his words on the cross.

Remember how important punctuation is. “Let’s eat Grandpa” is something a zombie (another made up creature) might say, “Let’s eat, Grandpa” is something a loving granddaughter might say.

Early Hebrew and Greek scriptures had no punctuation. Unfortunately, because of misplaced punctuation added by the King James version, many people take Jesus’ words on the cross out of context. It should be (and was understood to be for over a thousand years after His death to be again backed up by Jesus‘ own words while he was living), “I tell you today, thou wilt be with me in paradise.” Since Jesus knew and said several times the dead sleep, it was always understood this way, until man (King James) messed up an important translation.

In my next article we will discuss the last proof of why and how Jesus’ was taken out of context in the parable, The Rich Man and Lazarus.

Going on the proofs I’ve provided here. (Mainly if it was created by the sixth day, it isn’t here.) See if you can prove to yourself why it is other creatures you are talking to and not the dead.

Christians and Communicating With the Dead - Part 3

5 comments:

Rev Mark said...

Lisa....yoo are presenting an excellent case regarding the bible's teaching that ghosts are really demons. The immensity of this deception is global and the issues at stake are titanic.
However, the case against ghosts is NOT tied into the notion of soul sleep which you have been presenting. A look at any seminary systematic theology (eg Wayne Grudem)will show that the classical Christian view has been conscious existence afte death. I know Greek and Hebrew and the I disagree with how you have used them, as well as the bible. "Sleep" was a euphemstic way to refer to death...it became synonymous with death. Jesus knew Lazarus was dead, but he said he was asleep. Hence, you see Jesus using the two interchangably. Not have time to develop this fully, but the case against ghosts is NOT tied into soul sleep. I wrote an entire book on the bible and ghosts, and there dozens of other arguments against ghosts. I am concerned that a growing number of Christians are rightly challenging the notion if ghosts, but doing so by appealing to soul sleep. John Calvins first book was entitled "Against Soul Sleep". Sure, if soul sleep were true it would be a profound argument against ghosts..but it is actually one of the hallmarks of cults to believe in soul sleep (as you define it) The one exampke of Jesus with Lazarus should show how Jesus saw death and "sleep" as synomyms. It is the same in the Greek as it is in the English.
Defending soul sleep is getting you derailed from the main issue.

Anonymous said...

Rev Mark...Please, tell me which book you wrote. I have a very personal and urgent reason for researching the biblical truth and ghosts. Thank you!

Rev Mark said...

Hey...sorry for the delay--Kirby was kind enough to alert me of your request.
I wrote "Seeing Ghosts through God's Eyes: a comprehensive biblical worldview analysis of eartbound spirits." (Amazon...Kindle and paperback) As far as I know, it is the only comprehensive, biblical (science and logic too) critique of this extremely popular notion--with titanic issues at stake. I can only imagine the urgent issues involved...may the Lord bless your search for truth.Please let me know if there is any other way you may need asistance. Thank YOU! mark

Anonymous said...

No...Thank you, so much for the quick response. I will order the book as soon as I can. Thank you, Kirby, for letting Rev. Mark know. Kristie

Lisa Grace said...

Reverend Mark - I agree with you. I guess I didn't make it clear enough in my post that "sleep" means "dead" "aware of nothing" until we are "raised (if dead) and/or "caught up" (if living and saved).

As you said books have been written on the sublect, but I did want to clarify that Jesus meant "dead".