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Bible Questions and Spiritual Discussion
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| Spirits or Ghosts: what does the Bible say? | | My husband and I were discussing the possibility of ghosts of loved ones being able to watch over us and to be able at times to see them. I said I didn't know for sure what the Bible says, but I didn't think you could come back once you died. He said he didn't really think that the Bible says a whole lot on the subject. What thoughts or teachings can everyone give us?
| | Nancy 07/10/2010 06:39 | |
I think the whole "guardian ghost"thing is pure new age/neo pagan nonsense. If ghosts do exist, then I'm still waiting to see one and you would think by now that I would have, considering how many people have died! All alleged ghost experiences, as far as I am concerned, were just atmospheric anomalies (not hallucinations, only one person usually has the exact same hallucination - multiple people may not even see anything, or see something different.)
The only supernatural we should concern ourselves with (ghosts stink of paganism) should be demons and angels (which may or may not be visible to most people - one may be "gifted" or "cursed" in being able to see them, I think...), but even that subject is open do debate, because they may or may not be allowed to exist in the world under certain conditions at a given time, and honestly, I don't feel like researching that. I have more important things to do with my time, in my opinion. Nonetheless, from scripture, I will cite one famous example about Saul and the witch of Endor (no, not Star Wars.)
8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name."
9 But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?"
10 Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this."
11 Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"
"Bring up Samuel," he said.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
13 The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?"
The woman said, "I see a spirit [a] coming up out of the ground."
14 "What does he look like?" he asked.
"An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
15 Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"
"I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."
16 Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18 Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. 19 The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines."
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel's words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night.(1 Samuel 28:8 - 20)
the question is, did the spiritualist contact samuel of her own free will, or did God allow Samuel to be seen through the witch to satisfy Saul's need to see the LORD - "answer a fool according to his folly", so to speak?
I think that is the only reference in scripture to ghosts explicitly. I don't recall off the top of my head any references in the deuterocannon either.
| I think that maybe this vrs might be relevant. 1 Samuel:35. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.
Saul was not present (as far as I can tell from the text) when Samuel died. So I believe God granted a special, one of a kind event bringing Samuel up from the dead. I think the witch was expecting her familiar spirit (read demon) and when Samuel appeared it shocked her.
| 1 Samuel 15:35...sorry
| I, too, have a hard time beliving in ghosts,
but I agree that Scripture really doesn't say a lot about it.
I find it interesting that when Jesus came to the disciples on the water,
they mistook him for a ghost,
and they aren't repudiated for the mistake,
so apparently it was a common belief in those days.
["But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear.
But immediately he spoke to them, saying, 'Take heart, it is I; have no fear.'" - Maatthew 14:26-27]
Just an observation.
| AND.....literal translation for the Holy Spirit is the Holy Ghost.....just sayin'
| Thanks everyone. It makes for "Spirited" conversation and debate at the dinner table.
| well, whaddya know? me and Lanny agree on something!
:O
| I wish Grogan had stuck around to see this :) We all have to spend eternity together so we might as well love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and strength and our neighbors as ourselves. That sort of gives a baseline so all encompassing that it's hard to get around no matter what your theology is.
| And thats exactly why I love this community. :-)
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