A Biblical Perspective on Mediums and Ghosts (Part: 1)

"As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him of from among his people."

(Leviticus 20: 6, NASB)

 

Leviticus 20: 6 is one of the prohibitions written against mediums. The Lord makes it abundantly clear from the above Scripture text that He "will...set [His] face against that person" who turns to mediums and spiritists for help and guidance. Yet, today mediums are in record number all over North America. Even the Police Departments in some major cities have consulted mediums for help in solving some crimes. There are even 1-900 numbers where you can call a medium for advice. On the abilities of mediums, Ralph Gasson writes: 

"It is possible for the Medium to give a demonstration of this gift at any seance or public meeting, in a bus, train, restaurant or park. It does not require any special lighting and can be demonstrated anywhere. No form of trance condition is necessary, only the tuning in to the spirit world by the medium, who being in a passive state of mind is open to receive messages from those who presume to be the spirits of the dead."[1] 

As you can see from the quote by Gasson above that a Medium is someone who practices spiritism which is sometimes called Necromancy. Necromancy simply means some one who contacts the dead. This of course raises a question: 'Can the dead communicate with the living?' Josh McDowell answers this question in this comment below: 

"If there is any supernatural activity in a seance, it is most certainly not in the spirit of the departed one speaking through the medium. It is not possible according to the Scriptures to contact the spirits of the dead! Jesus made this very clear with the account of the rich man and Lazarus (see Luke 16: 19-31). 

Two things need to be noted about this passage:

(1) There is a great gulf fixed between the abode of the righteous dead and the unrighteous dead which no one can cross. The dead, in other words, are limited in their movement.

(2) The rich man was refused permission to warn his five brothers of their impending fate if they did not repent. The passage indicates, along with the rest of Scripture, that the dead are not allowed to speak to the living on any matter. The response in this case was that the brothers needed to believe what God had said to escape their doom rather than a voice from the dead.

Jesus declared that those who harden their hearts against the very words of God through Moses and the prophets would not listen to one returned from the dead. This is proven by those who reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ today. Jesus Christ did rise from the dead, yet people still reject His Word."[2] 

So based on what McDowell and Stewart are saying in the quote above would lead us to ask the question. Then who are the spirits being contacted by mediums, if the spirits are not our loved ones who have passed on? The Bible teaches us that in the spiritual realm there are only angels who serve God and fallen angels [demons] who serve the devil. (To be Continued...)

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[1] Josh McDowell & Don Stewart, Handbook of Today's Religions, (Thomas Nelson's Publishers, Nashville, TN, 2004), pg. 241.

[2] Josh McDowell & Don Stewart, Ibid., pgs. 253-254.