Well since we are nearing halloween I thought it would be interesting to discuss the existence of ghosts. Are ghosts real?
I think the best way to approach this topic is to start with what the Bible says about life after death. After that issue has been resolved we will be in a better position to discuss the existence of ghosts.
Life After Death
The Bible is clear that there is life after death. While the New Testament speaks most directly to this issue the Old Testament does not leave us totally in the dark. The one Old Testament passage that I will focus on is the popular Psalm 23. This Psalm is rightly read at funerals because it contains promises for life after death. The passage reads:
"Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" Ps 23:6
David's point is that while he lives, and goes through various storms (vs4), God will be with him and provide for him (vs5). However God's protection and provision does not end with the death of the body. David states that he "will dwell in the house of the Lord forever".
Our lives can be "the valley of the shadow of death" (vs4) at times. Even though this is true we have God's provision (vs1-3), God's presence (vs4b), God's protection (vs4-5), and God's love (vs6a). However there will come a day when we will leave this valley called life and we will enter directly into God's presence and dwell with Him forever. This is a wonderful promise to those who follow Christ. Paul also taught this same truth in 2Corinthians and Philippians. Paul taught that at death the Christian is "absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (2Cor 5:8). In Philippians Paul says that the believer departs to be with Christ (Phil 2:21-23). At death the believer dwells with the Lord forever. Where the Lord is there we will always be (Jn 14:3).
What about life after death for the unbeliever? The Bible teaches that the unbeliever enters a place I will call "torment" (Lk 16:22-31). At the last judgment the unbeliever will be cast into the eternal lake of fire (Rev 20:14-15, 21:8, etc). These places offer no hope for escape.
Ghosts?? NOT!
This brings me back to the topic at hand, ghosts. The above Biblical description of life after death leaves no room for the realistic possibility of ghosts. So the next time you are home alone at night and you hear something, or thing you see something, strange you can rest assured it was not a ghost. I can assure you of that 100% based on God's eternal Word.
But What About?
But what about those strange noises, visions, or feelings? Personally I would offer several explanations.
1. The most common cause of such things is the human emotion of fear. When a person gets scared their imagination can run wild and that will cause them to imagine that every bump is a ghost (etc).
2. Another common cause for belief in ghosts is natural causes. What do I mean by that? By natural causes I mean water pipes thumping, houses settling, drafts, animals, other people, tree branches, wind, electrical appliances (etc). If a person is scared such things may cause them fear. The result is their imagination takes over and they believe they are hearing ghosts (etc).
3. Another cause is dreams. Many people who report being abducted by a UFO, or report having seen a ghost, are usually in bed (at night) when this occurs. I have a perfect story about my grandmother and her late husband that shows how this works. One night she was asleep on the sofa in her living room. Her husband had been dead since the early eighties (it was the early ninties when this happened). Anyway she woke up only to see her dead husband standing in the hallway looking at her. When she sat up he was gone. What happened? Did she see the ghost of my grandfather? No. What happened was she was dreaming about him and when she saw him in the hall she was only half awake. When she fully woke up, and sat up, the dream ended. I had a simular experience about two years ago. I awoke (half way) one night to see a man standing in front of my tv. When I got startled and sat up in bed quickly he was gone. Why? Because it was a dream. The human mind can play all sorts of tricks on us.
4. Other times people make up stories in order to have something interesting to talk about at work or with their friends. Many times these stories are based on events that actually happened but the person adds the spooks for effect. After some time they have told the story so much that they start to believe it themselves. In effect they end up fooling, and often scaring, themselves.
5. Finally I must mention demons. While I don't believe demons sit around thinking up ways to spook you, they can and sometimes do. If a person is being oppressed by demonic forces, or out right possessed by them, all sorts of frightening things can happen to them (mental illness, physical sickness, unexplained activity, etc). The New Testament holds several examples of these type of events. Dr Erwin Lutzer also says that demons may pretend to be ghosts in order to drag folks away from the truth of Christ.
Lutzer writes:
"So you can be quite sure that no one has ever talked to your dead uncle, cousin, or grandmother. There are, however, spirits that impersonate the dead. Their trickery is compounded because they may actually talk about love, the value of religion, or make favorable references to Christ. And of course they know enough about the one who has died to deceive the unwary" -"One Minute After You Die" pg19
A very interesting book on this subject is Neil Anderson's "The Bondage Breaker". Anderson's understanding of spiritual warfare (etc) is very good. He gives examples of people who have been trapped by demonic forces (etc) and how they found freedom in Christ.
Folks let's not play around with "the dark side". There are demons who are alive and well and all the more willing to decieve you. This is why Christians should stay away from all forms of witchcraft, ghost hunting, and other new age practices. This stuff is really dangerous because there are dark forces just waiting to walk through any open door.
In short halloween and ghosts are not simple children's games. No, far from it. These things are connected to a dark side of reality. A side of reality that is anything but fun. Stay away!
In Christ,
Martin
I think the best way to approach this topic is to start with what the Bible says about life after death. After that issue has been resolved we will be in a better position to discuss the existence of ghosts.
Life After Death
The Bible is clear that there is life after death. While the New Testament speaks most directly to this issue the Old Testament does not leave us totally in the dark. The one Old Testament passage that I will focus on is the popular Psalm 23. This Psalm is rightly read at funerals because it contains promises for life after death. The passage reads:
"Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" Ps 23:6
David's point is that while he lives, and goes through various storms (vs4), God will be with him and provide for him (vs5). However God's protection and provision does not end with the death of the body. David states that he "will dwell in the house of the Lord forever".
Our lives can be "the valley of the shadow of death" (vs4) at times. Even though this is true we have God's provision (vs1-3), God's presence (vs4b), God's protection (vs4-5), and God's love (vs6a). However there will come a day when we will leave this valley called life and we will enter directly into God's presence and dwell with Him forever. This is a wonderful promise to those who follow Christ. Paul also taught this same truth in 2Corinthians and Philippians. Paul taught that at death the Christian is "absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (2Cor 5:8). In Philippians Paul says that the believer departs to be with Christ (Phil 2:21-23). At death the believer dwells with the Lord forever. Where the Lord is there we will always be (Jn 14:3).
What about life after death for the unbeliever? The Bible teaches that the unbeliever enters a place I will call "torment" (Lk 16:22-31). At the last judgment the unbeliever will be cast into the eternal lake of fire (Rev 20:14-15, 21:8, etc). These places offer no hope for escape.
Ghosts?? NOT!
This brings me back to the topic at hand, ghosts. The above Biblical description of life after death leaves no room for the realistic possibility of ghosts. So the next time you are home alone at night and you hear something, or thing you see something, strange you can rest assured it was not a ghost. I can assure you of that 100% based on God's eternal Word.
But What About?
But what about those strange noises, visions, or feelings? Personally I would offer several explanations.
1. The most common cause of such things is the human emotion of fear. When a person gets scared their imagination can run wild and that will cause them to imagine that every bump is a ghost (etc).
2. Another common cause for belief in ghosts is natural causes. What do I mean by that? By natural causes I mean water pipes thumping, houses settling, drafts, animals, other people, tree branches, wind, electrical appliances (etc). If a person is scared such things may cause them fear. The result is their imagination takes over and they believe they are hearing ghosts (etc).
3. Another cause is dreams. Many people who report being abducted by a UFO, or report having seen a ghost, are usually in bed (at night) when this occurs. I have a perfect story about my grandmother and her late husband that shows how this works. One night she was asleep on the sofa in her living room. Her husband had been dead since the early eighties (it was the early ninties when this happened). Anyway she woke up only to see her dead husband standing in the hallway looking at her. When she sat up he was gone. What happened? Did she see the ghost of my grandfather? No. What happened was she was dreaming about him and when she saw him in the hall she was only half awake. When she fully woke up, and sat up, the dream ended. I had a simular experience about two years ago. I awoke (half way) one night to see a man standing in front of my tv. When I got startled and sat up in bed quickly he was gone. Why? Because it was a dream. The human mind can play all sorts of tricks on us.
4. Other times people make up stories in order to have something interesting to talk about at work or with their friends. Many times these stories are based on events that actually happened but the person adds the spooks for effect. After some time they have told the story so much that they start to believe it themselves. In effect they end up fooling, and often scaring, themselves.
5. Finally I must mention demons. While I don't believe demons sit around thinking up ways to spook you, they can and sometimes do. If a person is being oppressed by demonic forces, or out right possessed by them, all sorts of frightening things can happen to them (mental illness, physical sickness, unexplained activity, etc). The New Testament holds several examples of these type of events. Dr Erwin Lutzer also says that demons may pretend to be ghosts in order to drag folks away from the truth of Christ.
Lutzer writes:
"So you can be quite sure that no one has ever talked to your dead uncle, cousin, or grandmother. There are, however, spirits that impersonate the dead. Their trickery is compounded because they may actually talk about love, the value of religion, or make favorable references to Christ. And of course they know enough about the one who has died to deceive the unwary" -"One Minute After You Die" pg19
A very interesting book on this subject is Neil Anderson's "The Bondage Breaker". Anderson's understanding of spiritual warfare (etc) is very good. He gives examples of people who have been trapped by demonic forces (etc) and how they found freedom in Christ.
Folks let's not play around with "the dark side". There are demons who are alive and well and all the more willing to decieve you. This is why Christians should stay away from all forms of witchcraft, ghost hunting, and other new age practices. This stuff is really dangerous because there are dark forces just waiting to walk through any open door.
In short halloween and ghosts are not simple children's games. No, far from it. These things are connected to a dark side of reality. A side of reality that is anything but fun. Stay away!
In Christ,
Martin
