Ecc_9:5 For
the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither
have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Psa 6:5 For in
death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee
thanks?
Psa 30:9 What
profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise
thee? shall it declare thy truth?
Psa 88:10 Wilt
thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee?
Selah.
Psa 88:11
Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in
destruction?
Psa 88:12
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of
forgetfulness?
Psa 115:17 The
dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
Ecc 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work,
nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
'Great Controversy-
Chapter XXXIV- Spiritualism
The ministration of
holy angels, as presented in the Scriptures, is a truth most comforting and
precious to every follower of Christ. But the Bible teaching upon this point
has been obscured and perverted by the errors of popular theology. The doctrine
of natural immortality, first borrowed from the pagan philosophy, and in the
darkness of the great apostasy incorporated into the Christian faith, has
supplanted the truth, so plainly taught in Scripture, that “the dead know not
anything.”
Multitudes have come
to believe that it is the spirits of the dead who are the “ministering spirits
sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”
And this not
withstanding the testimony of Scripture to the existence of heavenly angels,
and their connection with the history of man, before the death of a human
being. The doctrine of man’s
consciousness in death, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has
prepared the way for modern Spiritualism.
If the dead are
admitted to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge
far exceeding what they before possessed, why should they not return to the
earth to enlighten and instruct the living? If, as taught by popular
theologians, the spirits of the dead are hovering about their friends on earth,
why should they not be permitted to communicate with them, to warn them against
evil, or to comfort them in sorrow? How can those who believe in man’s
consciousness in death reject what comes to them as divine light communicated
by glorified spirits?
Here is a channel
regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his
purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the
spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the
dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds. He
has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends. The
counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are reproduced
with marvelous distinctness. Many are comforted with the assurance that their
loved ones are enjoying the bliss of Heaven; and without suspicion of danger,
they give ear to “seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” When they have
been led to believe that the dead actually return to communicate with them,
Satan causes those to appear who went into the grave unprepared. They claim to
be happy in Heaven, and even to occupy exalted positions there; and thus the
error is widely taught, that no difference is made between the righteous and
the wicked.
The pretended
visitants from the world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which
prove to be correct. Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that
directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep interest
in the well-being of their friends on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous
errors. The fact that they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell
future events, gives to their statements an appearance of reliability; and
their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as readily, and believed
as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible.
The law of God is
set aside, the Spirit of grace despised, the blood of the covenant counted an
unholy thing. The spirits deny the divinity of Christ, and place even the
Creator on a level with themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel
still carries forward his warfare against God, begun in Heaven, and for nearly
six thousand years continued upon the earth.
To be continued…
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