In honor of it being the week of Halloween, I thought I would answer the age-old question, are ghosts real? Or in this case, what does the Bible say about ghosts?
First I want to say the concept of a ghost, in the sense of a dead person’s spirit, is actually really sad. It implies that once a person dies they are stuck on earth forever never being able to move on to their eternal home, forced to wander for eternity. Second, it amazes me how many Christian believe in ghosts considering the word of God makes it very clear that we are not made for this world, but in fact, we are designed to move on from this world into the presence of God after we die. Death, in general, can be an unsettling topic but luckily the Bible can give us reassurance about what happens to us when we die.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, “Then man’s dust will go back to the earth, returning to what it was, and the spirit will return to the God who gave it.”
This verse means our bodies will eventually fade away back into the dust it came from, referring to Genesis 2:7 which says, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
Our living spirit is from the breath of life given by God, which will return to him as well.
The Bible never mentions spirits lingering, or a time of in-between. In the book of Luke chapter 23, when Jesus was on the cross, he was hung next to two criminals. One shouted insults at Jesus but the other, a thief, acknowledged Jesus was innocent, repented of his sin, and knew Jesus was the son of God. The thief said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Today.
Today, as in this very day, you will be with me in paradise.
We do not have a choice to stay on earth after we die. But our human spirits will go either to eternal peace or eternal punishment, the choice of what happens to us after we die is ours.
So what about all of the evidence of ghosts or all the times people have encountered them?
The truth may be much more unfortunate than you are prepared for. The Bible warns us against seeking out these practices.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you.”
Although this passage was written in the 7th century BC, the warnings are relevant today. Witchcraft is becoming mainstream and it is disguised as a fun hobby or natural belief system. Walking around Salem, I saw voodoo dolls, spell ingredients, seances, and psychics everywhere portrayed as a way to “heal.” Make no mistakes, it is not without a dark consequence.
This passage is an instruction given by God to protect us from inviting evil spirits into our lives. The “ghosts” you encounter are not the person you know and love but a demon in disguise. The enemy is looking for ways to infiltrate your life and he will use your grief to do so. I have seen loved ones in deep mourning go to psychics to find peace and understanding for their loss but unfortunately, it always falls flat. I know it may look entertaining or fulfilling but it will leave you with a heaviness that can only be removed by God. The concept of demons may sound dramatic or even cinematic but they are very real, but the good news is if demons are real then so are angels, but that's an article for another time.
We know our loved ones have passed on from this world, so what is pretending to be them is not holy but a hollow shell of what evil remains in this world. That is why is crucial to follow the word of God in Colossians 3 1-4 which says,
“Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Sources: Bible Gateway, Biblereasons.com (Fritz Chery), NIV Bible. Gotquestions.org