The Moment of Truth - Lesson 17

The Dark Side of Spiritualism

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Let us ask for God's assistance:

Lord,

We want to thank You for all the blessings You give us day after day, and above all for the gift of Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ, by whom we can obtain forgiveness for our sins, and inherit everlasting life.

May You guide us once again, by Your Spirit, while we open Your Holy Book to better understand Your will for each one of us.

In Jesus Christ.

Amen.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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John 16:12	Comments
[Jesus said,] ŤI still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.ť	For a better understanding of the content of this lesson, we strongly advise you to review first the previous three lessons: ŤBody, Soul, and Spiritť, ŤAfter Death...ť, and ŤIs There Really a Hell?ť. It would also be a good idea to review Lesson 4, ŤWhy Does Evil Exist?ť, to better understand what will be presented here.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Isaiah 8:19

Comments

And when they say to you,

ŤSeek those who are mediums (...).ť

Today, we will tackle the subject of spiritualism.

Spiritualism could be defined as a belief admitting the existence of spirits of all kinds (for example, the spirits of the dead) and the possibility to communicate with them.

What does God think of that belief, and of occultism in general? Which warnings does He give us, and why?

In this lesson, the Bible will provide us with precise and clear answers to these questions.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Leviticus 19:31	Comments
Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.	First, let us note that attempts to communicate with the dead or spirits go back a long way. God already forbade this practice centuries ago.
Leviticus 20:6
And the person who turns after mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Deuteronomy 18:10-13	Comments
There shall not be found among you (...) a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.	Let us note God's firm opposition against all attempts to communicate with the dead or spirits. God drove out the heathen nations that were practicing these things and other forms of occultism.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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2 Kings 21:2,6	Comments
[Manasseh] did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. (...) He consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord.	The Old Testament gives us many examples of kings who did not hearken to God's warnings, and decided to devote themselves to spiritualism.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Malachi 3:5	Comments
ŤAnd I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers (...),ť says the Lord of hosts.	Judgment will be severe towards sorcerers, that is, people practicing occultism. We must ask this question: why does God warn us so seriously against spiritualism and occultism?
Revelation 21:8
Sorcerers (...) shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Psalm 115:17	Comments
The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence.	In the lesson ŤAfter Death...ť, we have learned that when someone dies, he falls into a state which the Bible compares to a sleep, a state of total unconsciousness, until the day of his resurrection. Since he cannot hear us, it is therefore useless to try to communicate with him.
Ecclesiastes 9:5,10
The dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. (...) There is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Job 7:9,10	Comments
As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, nor shall his place know him anymore.	Thus, the haunted house phenomenon cannot be explained by the return of the late tenants. Since the dead rest unconscious in the grave, then another power must perform the different occult phenomena like, for example, during seances in which spirits are called up. What is that power?

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2 Corinthians 4:3,4	Comments
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded.	Since his fall (see the lesson ŤWhy Does Evil Exist?ť), Satan has been incessantly trying to deceive men, to keep them away from God. To this end, spiritualism is one of his most efficient weapons.
2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

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Genesis 3:2-4	Comments
The woman said to the serpent, Ť(...) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'ť And the serpent said to the woman, ŤYou will not surely die.ť	Satan's first lie to mankind was to claim that man was immortal. Today, this very same lie deceives millions of people, making them believe that the dead are not really dead, but on the contrary are more alive than ever, always ready to communicate with them!

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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1 Samuel 28:6,7	Comments
And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, ŤFind me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.ť	The example of Saul consulting the medium of En Dor perfectly illustrates how Satan can deceive us by means of spiritualism. The prophet Samuel being dead, and God keeping silent, King Saul decided to disobey Him by trying to communicate with the late prophet. Now, the following verses will show us that Saul communicated with Satan, not with Samuel.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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1 Samuel 28:11	Comments
Then the woman said, ŤWhom shall I bring up for you?ť And [Saul] said, ŤBring up Samuel for me.ť	First of all, let us remember the clear teaching of the Word of God. The dead are in a state of total unconsciousness: it is therefore impossible to bring them up to communicate with them.
Job 14:12
So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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1 Samuel 28:13 (KJV)	Comments
And the king said unto her, ŤBe not afraid: for what sawest thou?ť And the woman said unto Saul, ŤI saw gods ascending out of the earth.ť	The medium described the vision as gods ascending out of the earth. But the prophet Samuel would not have accepted to be designated as a Ťgodť. However, Satan, the god of this age, tolerates this title quite well...
2 Corinthians 4:3,4
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded.

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1 Samuel 28:15	Comments
Now Samuel said to Saul, ŤWhy have you disturbed me by bringing me up?ť	Once again, the dead cannot come up to communicate with the living. But Satan can easily impersonate the dead in order to deceive us.
Job 7:9
He who goes down to the grave does not come up.
2 Samuel 12:23
But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

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1 Samuel 28:16	Comments
Then Samuel said, ŤWhy then do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy?ť	God is our friend, not our enemy. He is always willing to forgive anyone who sincerely repents from his sins. But Satan tries to make us believe the contrary, as he did here by impersonating the prophet Samuel.
Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

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Job 4:15-19

Comments

A spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance.

A form was before my eyes; there was silence; then I heard a voice saying,

ŤCan a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

If He puts no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error, how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust?ť

Satan often tries to make us believe that our situation is hopeless, that God has become our enemy.

Let us not be deceived by this lie.

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1 Chronicles 10:13,14	Comments
So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because He consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord.	Sadly, Saul did not repent of his disobedience. He died believing that God had become his enemy, deceived by the false teaching of his real enemy, Satan, who had impersonated the late prophet Samuel to mislead him more efficiently.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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1 Timothy 4:1	Comments
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.	Now, what about spiritualism today? The Word of God says that the latter days will be marked by a revival of spiritualism and different occult sciences: astrology, fortunetelling, divination, clairvoyance, etc.
Matthew 24:4
Jesus answered and said to them, ŤTake heed that no one deceives you.ť

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Matthew 24:24,25	Comments
[Jesus said,] ŤFor false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.ť	Satan will soon display his most powerful devices, to keep men away from the gospel of Jesus Christ announcing the way to salvation.
Galatians 1:8
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

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Matthew 7:21-23	Comments
Not everyone who says to Me, ŤLord, Lord,ť shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ŤLord, Lord, have we not (...) done many wonders in Your name?ť And then I will declare to them, ŤI never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!ť	Satan will even use people claiming to do miracles in the name of Jesus, but one will recognize them by their rebelliousness towards God's will.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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2 Thessalonians 2:9,10	Comments
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.	Only through the study of God's Word can we avoid being deceived by Satan.
John 12:35
Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.

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Jeremiah 27:9,10	Comments
Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, ŤYou shall not serve the king of Babylon.ť For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.	By using spiritualism and occultism, Satan will manage to deceive man, making him believe that he does not need a Savior, and thus bringing him to reject the salvation in Jesus Christ that God offers him.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Isaiah 8:19,20	Comments
And when they say to you, ŤSeek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,ť should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.	The one and only trustworthy source of revelations is Ťthe law and the testimonyť, that is, the Word of God. If Satan succeeds in keeping us away from this precious Book, he will make us fall into his snares.

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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1 Corinthians 10:20	Comments
I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.	Trying to communicate with the dead places us on the enemy's ground, thus in danger of being deceived. Even praying to the dead (praying to saints, to a deceased friend, etc.) is not only useless but dangerous. The Bible tells us to pray to God only (see the lesson ŤUsing God's Hot Lineť).
Ephesians 5:10,11
(...) proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

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1 John 4:1	Comments
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.	Let's never forget: as we live in the last days, Satan will try to deceive us by all means. The most Ťinoffensiveť form of occultism or spiritualism can be a powerful device to keep us away from the truth.

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Isaiah 47:13-15

Comments

You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from these things that shall come upon you.

Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; it shall not be a coal to be warmed by, nor a fire to sit before!

Thus shall they be to you with whom you have labored, your merchants from your youth; they shall wander each one to his quarter. No one shall save you.

We cannot consult both God and the astrologers.

We must choose right now whom we want to trust, and then live with the consequences of our decision.

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Ephesians 6:11,12	Comments
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.	God's whole armor (the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of readiness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God) will give us victory!

The Moment of Truth		The Dark Side of Spiritualism
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Let us thank God for His assistance:

Our Father,

The end of all things draws near, and we know that the enemy will multiply his deceptions, among which are spiritualism and occultism, to keep us away from You.

But You have given us Your Word as a trustworthy guide, which reveals Satan's wiles and warns us against them.

Please give us Your Holy Spirit that He may remind us, when we need it the most, the precious teachings we have learned today.

In Jesus Christ.

Amen.

The test of Lesson 17 is waiting for you!

Source of the Pictures of this Lesson

Screen 1: In: ŤPhoto Gallery 25,000ť by Media Graphics International, CD #1, AA092.JPG. Screen 2: BLOCH, Carl. ŤThe Sermon on the Mountť, Frederiksborg Slotskirke, Hillerod, Denmark. Screen 3: DELVILLE, Jean. ŤOrpheusť (1893), Collection of Anne-Marie Gillion Crowet, Brussels. Picture from the Web site: http://sunsite.auc.dk/cgfa/d/p-delvill1.htm Screen 4: In: ŤVous pouvez vivre éternellement sur une terre qui deviendra un paradisť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1982, p.91. Screen 5: In: ŤVous pouvez vivre éternellement sur une terre qui deviendra un paradisť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1982, p.97. Screen 6: BRICE, N. In: ŤThe Bible Pageant, Volume 3: Kings and Queensť (NEFF, Merlin L.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1948, p.62. Screen 7: In: ŤThe Watchtowerť magazine (March 1, 1987), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.1. Screen 8: Picture from the Web site: http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9608/17/cyprus.pm/funeral.lrg.jpg Screen 9: Picture from the Web site: http://www.stetson.edu/departments/csata/fotos/ihh_5.jpg Screen 10: In: ŤSigns of the Timesť magazine (March 1995), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.7. Screen 11: COXCIE, Michel van (1499-1592). ŤOriginal Sinť, Art History Museum, Vienna. Picture from the Web site: http://sunsite.auc.dk/cgfa/c/p-coxcie2.htm Screen 12: In: ŤThe Illustrated Children's Bibleť (CHRISTIE-MURRAY, David), Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1978, p.97. Screen 13: MUELLER, Carl. In: ŤThe Living Bible Encyclopedia in Story and Pictures, volume 4ť, New York, H.S. Stuttman Co. Inc., 1968, p.516-c. Screen 14: NYE, Vernon. In: ŤThe Bible Story, volume 4ť (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.52. Used by permission. Copyright Š1955, 1983 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 15: MOUNT, William Sidney. ŤSaul and the Witch of Endorť (1828), The Smithsonian Institution, National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington D.C. Picture from the Web site: http://sunsite.auc.dk/cgfa/m/p-mount4.htm Screen 16: WEST, Benjamin, (1728-1820), ŤSaul and the Witch of Endorť. In: ŤThe Reader's Digest Bible, Illustrated Editionť, Reader's Digest Association Far East Ltd., 1990, p.310. Screen 17: BURTNETT, Jim. In: ŤUnmasking the Spiritsť (WHELPLEY, Theresa A.), front cover. Used by permission. Copyright Š1977 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 18: ŤThe Death of Saulť. In: ŤBeautiful Bible Storiesť (MARTIN, Patricia Summerlin), Southwestern Company, 1964, p.223. Screen 19: Photo by Betty Blue/Enrique Fuentealba. In: ŤLa Sentinelleť magazine (November 1993), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.2. Screen 20: HUNT, Robert. In: ŤLa Sentinelleť magazine (August 1992), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.10. Screen 21: In: ŤLa Sentinelleť magazine (July 1993), Pacific Press Publishing Association, front cover. Screen 22: Photo by P. BLEECKX. In: ŤLe Moniteurť, Pacific Press Publishing Association, First Quarter 1999, front cover. Screen 23: Bettmann/CORBIS. ŤWoodcut Of Seance In The 19th Centuryť. Image ID: BE038739. Picture from the Web site: http://search.corbis.com/default.asp?i=11148794&vID=1&rID=101 Screen 24: CRUZ, Nery. In: ŤLa Sentinelleť magazine (March 1984), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.1. Screen 25: Picture from the Web site: http://www.fst.org/fstphoto.htm Screen 26: Picture from the Web site: http://www.kittyparker.com/k-phone2xmx.jpg Screen 27: In: ŤRéveillez-vousť magazine (November 22, 1989), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.2. Screen 28: HARLAN, Russell. In: ŤVotre Bible et Vousť (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.152. Used by permission. Copyright Š1959, 1987 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 29: In: ŤPhoto Gallery 25,000ť by Media Graphics International, CD #1, FRICE037.JPG.

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The Dark Side of Spiritualism

The test of Lesson 17 is waiting for you!

The test of Lesson 17 is waiting for you!

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