Lesson 29 Explore 3: Spirits of the Dead—Can They Help You or Harm You? Do They Really Exist?
Part 1:
Introduction
“I grew up in a small village in the northern province,” relates Dauda from Sierra Leone. “Once, when I was a boy, there was a land dispute between my family and another family. Both claimed the same land. To settle the matter, a medicine man was called in. He gave another man a mirror, then covered him with a white cloth. Soon the man under the cloth began to tremble and sweat. As he looked into the mirror, he exclaimed: ‘I see an old man approaching! He is dressed in white garments. He is tall and old, with gray hair, and he walks with a slight stoop.’
“He was describing Grandfather! He then became hysterical and cried out: ‘If you don’t believe what I am saying, come look for yourselves!’ Of course, none of us had the courage to do that! The medicine man calmed him by sprinkling on him a magical mixture of leaves and water, which he held in a calabash.
“Speaking through the mirror-man, ‘Grandfather’ said the land belonged to our family. He told my grandmother she should work the land without worry. The other family accepted the judgment. The issue was settled.”
Such experiences are common in West Africa. Here, as in other parts of the world, countless millions believe that dead people pass on to the spirit world, where they are able to observe and influence the lives of people on earth. Is this belief true? Are the dead really alive? If not, who are those who claim to be spirits of the dead? Knowing the correct answers to these questions is vitally important. It is a life-and-death matter.
Part 2:
Spirits Have Not Lived and Died on Earth
Spirits Have Not Lived and Died on Earth
Spirits exist! Within the invisible spirit realm, there are both good and bad spirits. Are they persons who have lived and died on earth?
No, they are not. When a person dies, he or she does not pass on to the spirit world, as many people think. How do we know this? Because the Bible says so. The Bible is a book of truth that comes from the only true God, whose name is Jehovah. Jehovah created humans; he well knows what happens to them when they die.-
(Psalm 83.18: May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.)
(2 Timothy 3.16: All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness,)
CAPTION: Adam came from dust, returned to dust
The Bible says that God formed Adam, the first man, “out of dust from the ground.”
(Genesis 2.7: And Jehovah God went on to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living person.)
God put him in Paradise, the garden of Eden. If Adam had obeyed Jehovah’s law, he would not have died; he would still be alive on earth today. But when Adam deliberately broke God’s law, God said to him: “You [will] return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.”-
(Genesis 3.19: In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.”)
What does this mean? Well, where was Adam before Jehovah created him from the dust? He was nowhere. He was not an unborn spirit in heaven. He did not exist. So when Jehovah said that Adam would “return to the ground,” he meant that Adam would die. He did not cross over to the spirit realm. At death, Adam once again became lifeless, nonexistent. Death is the absence of life.
But what about others who have died? Are they also nonexistent? The Bible answers:
• “All [both humans and animals] are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.”-
(Ecclesiastes 3.20: All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust.)
• “The dead... are conscious of nothing at all.”-
(Ecclesiastes 9.5: For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten.)
• “Their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished.”-
(Ecclesiastes 9.6: Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun.)
• “There is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol [the grave], the place to which you are going.”-
(Ecclesiastes 9.10: Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going.)
• “[Man] goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.”-
(Psalm 146.4: His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground; On that very day his thoughts perish.)
CAPTION: Only the living can do these things
Do you find these scriptures hard to accept? If so, think about this: In many families, the man earns money to support his household. When the man dies, his family usually suffers hardship. Sometimes his wife and children do not even have enough money to buy food. Perhaps the man’s enemies will abuse them. Now ask yourself: ‘If that man is alive in the spirit world, why does he not continue to provide for his family? Why does he not protect his family from bad people?’ It is because the scriptures are correct. That man is lifeless, unable to do anything.-
(Psalm 115.17: The dead do not praise Jah; Nor do any who go down into the silence of death.)
CAPTION: The dead cannot help the hungry or protect victims of abuse
Does this mean that the dead will never come to life again? No, it does not. We will talk about the resurrection later. But it does mean that dead people do not know what you are doing. They cannot see you, hear you, or talk to you. You need not fear them. They cannot help you, and they cannot harm you.-
(Ecclesiastes 9.4: There is hope for whoever is among the living, because a live dog is better off than a dead lion.)
(Isaiah 26.14: They are dead; they will not live. Powerless in death, they will not rise up. For you have turned your attention to them To annihilate them and destroy all mention of them.)
Part 3:
Millions of Spirit Creatures
The Bible tells us that there are many spirit persons. Jehovah is himself a spirit.-
(John 4.24: God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.”)
(2 Corinthians 3.17, 18: Now Jehovah is the Spirit, and where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom. And all of us, while we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, exactly as it is done by Jehovah the Spirit.)
At one time Jehovah was alone in the universe. Then he began to create spirit persons called angels. They are more powerful and more intelligent than humans. Jehovah created many angels; God’s servant Daniel, in a vision, saw a hundred million angels.-
(Daniel 7.10: A stream of fire was flowing and going out from before him. A thousand thousands kept ministering to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The Court took its seat, and books were opened.)
(Hebrews 1.7: Also, he says about the angels: “He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”)
These angels were created by God even before he made the earth.
(Job 38.4-7: Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you think you understand. Who set its measurements, in case you know, Or who stretched a measuring line across it? Into what were its pedestals sunk, Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars joyfully cried out together, And all the sons of God began shouting in applause?)
None of them are people who once lived and died on earth.
CAPTION: The great Spirit, Jehovah, created millions of spirit persons
Part 4:
Rebellion in the Spirit Realm
CAPTION: When Satan used a serpent to speak to Eve, she joined his rebellion against God
All the spirit persons that Jehovah created were good. Then one angel turned bad. He is Satan the Devil. Satan wanted people on earth to worship him instead of Jehovah. This is what happened:
In the garden of Eden, there were many trees that bore delicious fruit. Jehovah told Adam and his wife, Eve, that they could freely eat from them. But there was one tree that God said they should not eat from. He said that if they ate from it, they would positively die.-
(Genesis 2.9: Thus Jehovah God made to grow out of the ground every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food and also the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.)
(Genesis 2.16, 17: Jehovah God also gave this command to the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will certainly die.”)
One day Eve was by herself when a snake spoke to her. Of course, it was not really the snake that talked; it was Satan the Devil who made it seem as if the snake were talking. Satan told Eve that if she ate from the forbidden fruit, she would be wise like God. He also said that she would not die. Both these statements were lies. Nevertheless, Eve believed Satan and ate the fruit. Later, she gave some to Adam, and he ate too.-
(Genesis 3.1-6: Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’” At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.” Consequently, the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something desirable to the eyes, yes, the tree was pleasing to look at. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it. Afterward, she also gave some to her husband when he was with her, and he began eating it.)
From this true story, we learn that Satan is a rebel and a liar. He told Eve that if she disobeyed God, she would not die. That was a lie. She did die and so did Adam. Satan did not die then, although he will eventually because he sinned. Meantime, however, he is alive and continues to mislead mankind. He is still a liar, and he tries to get people to break God’s laws.-
(John 8.44: You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.)
Other Angels Rebel
Later, other angels turned bad. These angels noticed the good-looking women on earth and wanted to have sexual relations with them. So they came to the earth and put on male human bodies. Then they took the women for themselves. This was against God’s purpose.-
(Genesis 6.1, 2: Now when men started to grow in number on the surface of the ground and daughters were born to them, the sons of the true God began to notice that the daughters of men were beautiful. So they began taking as wives all whom they chose.)
(Jude 6: And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.)
CAPTION: Wicked angels came to the earth to commit immorality with women
It also caused much trouble for mankind. The wives of these angels bore children, but they were not normal children. They grew to be violent and cruel giants. Eventually the earth became so filled with violence that Jehovah decided to destroy the wicked people by a great flood. The only humans who survived the Flood were righteous Noah and his family.-
(Genesis 6.4: The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and afterward. During that time the sons of the true God continued to have relations with the daughters of men, and these bore sons to them. They were the mighty ones of old times, the men of fame.)
(Genesis 6.11: But the earth had become ruined in the sight of the true God, and the earth was filled with violence.)
(Genesis 7.23: So He wiped every living thing from the surface of the earth, including man, animals, creeping animals, and the flying creatures of the sky. They were all wiped off the earth; only Noah and those with him in the ark survived.)
The wicked angels, however, returned to the spirit realm; they did not die. But they were punished. They were not allowed back into God’s family of righteous angels. Furthermore, Jehovah no longer allowed them to put on human bodies. And eventually they will die in the great judgment.-
(2 Peter 2.4: Certainly God did not refrain from punishing the angels who sinned, but threw them into Tartarus, putting them in chains of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.)
(Jude 6: And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.)
Satan Cast Out of Heaven
CAPTION: Satan and his bad angels were cast out of heaven
In the early part of our century, there was a war in heaven. The Bible book of Revelation describes what happened: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael [the resurrected Jesus Christ] and his [good] angels battled with the dragon [Satan], and the dragon and its [bad] angels battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his [bad] angels were hurled down with him.”
What was the result? The account continues: “On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them!” The good angels could be glad because Satan and the bad angels, or spirits, were no longer in heaven. But what about people on earth? The Bible says: “Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.”-
(Revelation 12.7-9: And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.)
(Revelation 12.12: On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time.”)
Yes, Satan and his wicked companions mislead and cause great woe for people on earth. These wicked angels are called demons. They are enemies of God. All of them are evil.
Part 5:
The Demons Are Killers!
Satan and the demons have always been cruel and dangerous. In early times Satan killed the livestock and servants of faithful Job. Then he killed Job’s ten children by causing “a great wind” to destroy the house they were in. After that Satan struck Job with “a malignant boil from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.”-
(Job 1.7-19: Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Jehovah: “From roving about on the earth and from walking about in it.” And Jehovah said to Satan: “Have you taken note of my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth. He is an upright man of integrity, fearing God and shunning what is bad.” At that Satan answered Jehovah: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God? Have you not put up a protective hedge around him and his house and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock has spread out in the land. But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your very face.” Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only do not lay your hand on the man himself!” So Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah. Now on the day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said: “The cattle were plowing and the donkeys were grazing beside them when the Sabeans attacked and took them, and they killed the servants with the sword. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another one came and said: “Fire from God fell from the heavens and blazed among the sheep and the servants and consumed them! I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another one came and said: “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them, and they killed the servants with the sword. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, yet another one came and said: “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. Suddenly a great wind came from the wilderness, and it struck the four corners of the house, so that it fell on the young people and they were killed. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”)
(Job 2.7: So Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.)
In Jesus’ day, the demons made some people speechless and blind.
(Matthew 9.32, 33: When they were leaving, look! people brought him a speechless man possessed of a demon; and after the demon had been expelled, the speechless man spoke. Well, the crowds were amazed and said: “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.”)
(Matthew 12.22: Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and speechless, and he cured him, so that the speechless man could speak and see.)
They tormented one man and made him slash himself with stones.
(Mark 5.5: And continually, night and day, he was crying out in the tombs and in the mountains and slashing himself with stones.)
They also caused a boy to cry out, dashed him to the ground, and “violently convulsed him.”-
(Luke 9.42: But even as he was approaching, the demon hurled him to the ground and violently threw him into a convulsion. However, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.)
CAPTION: In the past, the demons made some people sick and threw others into convulsions
Today, Satan and the demons are as murderous as ever. In fact, their evil activity has increased since they were thrown out of heaven. Reports from around the world testify to their cruelty. They plague some people with illness. Others they harass at night, depriving them of sleep or giving them terrible dreams. Others they abuse sexually. Still others they drive to insanity, murder, or suicide.
CAPTION: The demons today cause some people to be violent; they harass others at night, giving them terrible dreams
Lintina, who lives in Suriname, relates that a demon, or bad spirit, killed 16 members of her family and tormented her physically and mentally for 18 years. From firsthand experience she states that the demons “enjoy torturing their unwilling victims until death.”
But Jehovah is able to protect his servants from Satan’s attacks.-
(Proverbs 18.10: The name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous one runs and receives protection.)
Part 6:
The Demons Falsely Claim the Dead Are Alive
The Demons Falsely Claim the Dead Are Alive
The Bible says that Satan is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.”
(Revelation 12.9: So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.)
Satan and his demons do not want us to believe God’s Word, the Bible. They try to make people believe that the dead are alive somewhere in the spirit realm. Let us see how they do that.
False Religion
CAPTION: Humans, animals, fish, and birds—all are souls
Many religions teach that every human has a soul that passes on to the spirit realm after the death of the physical body. They say that the body dies but the soul does not die. Moreover, they assert that the soul cannot die, that it is immortal.
But God’s Word does not teach that. The Bible shows that the soul is the person, not something inside a person. For example, in describing the creation of Adam, the Bible states: “And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul.”
(Genesis 2.7: And Jehovah God went on to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living person.)
So Adam was not given a soul; he was a soul.
Animals also are called souls.-
(Genesis 1.20, 21: Then God said: “Let the waters swarm with living creatures, and let flying creatures fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” And God created the great sea creatures and all living creatures that move and swarm in the waters according to their kinds and every winged flying creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.)
(Genesis 1.24: Then God said: “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds, domestic animals and creeping animals and wild animals of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.)
(Genesis 1.30: And to every wild animal of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and to everything moving on the earth in which there is life, I have given all green vegetation for food.” And it was so.)
Since the Bible word “soul” means the person himself, it should not surprise us to learn that souls can and do die. The Scriptures say:
• “The soul that is sinning-it itself will die.”-
(Ezekiel 18.4: Look! All the souls—to me they belong. As the soul of the father so also the soul of the son—to me they belong. The soul who sins is the one who will die.)
• “And Samson proceeded to say: ‘Let my soul die with the Philistines.’”-
(Judges 16.30: Samson called out: “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and the house fell on the lords and all the people in it. So he killed more at his death than he had killed during his life.)
• “Is it lawful on the sabbath to do a good deed or to do a bad deed, to save or to kill a soul?”-
(Mark 3.4: Next he said to them: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent.)
CAPTION: The Bible shows that the soul is not immortal
Other scriptures show that souls can be destroyed
(Genesis 17.14: If any uncircumcised male will not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin, that person must be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”)
slain by the sword
(Joshua 10.37: They captured it and struck it, its king, its towns, and everyone in it with the sword, not letting any survivor remain. Just as he had done to Eglon, he devoted it and everyone in it to destruction.)
suffocated
(Job 7.15: So that I would choose suffocation, Yes, death rather than this body of mine.)
and drowned
(Jonah 2.5: Waters engulfed me and threatened my life; The watery deep closed in on me. Weeds were wrapped around my head.)
Thus, the soul dies.
If you read the Bible from cover to cover, you will never find the phrase “immortal soul.” The human soul is not a spirit. The teaching of the immortal soul is not a Bible teaching. It is a teaching of Satan and his demons. Jehovah hates all religious lies.-
(Proverbs 6.16-19: There are six things that Jehovah hates; Yes, seven things that he detests: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart plotting wicked schemes, and feet that run quickly to evil, A false witness who lies with every breath, And anyone sowing contentions among brothers.)
(1 Timothy 4.1, 2: However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron.)
Spirit Mediums
CAPTION: The demons actually pretend to be spirits of the dead
Another way that Satan misleads people is through mediums. A medium is a person who is able to receive messages directly from the spirit world. A great many people, including mediums themselves, believe that these messages come from spirits of the dead. But as we have seen from the Bible, this is impossible.-
(Ecclesiastes 9.5, 6: For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun.)
(Ecclesiastes 9.10: Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going.)
From whom, then, do these messages come? The demons themselves! The demons are able to observe a person when he is alive; they know how the person talked, what he looked like, what he did, and what he knew. So it is easy for them to imitate people who have died.-
(1 Samuel 28.3-19: Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned him and had buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the spirit mediums and the fortune-tellers from the land. The Philistines assembled and went and set up camp in Shunem. So Saul assembled all Israel, and they set up camp in Gilboa. When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. Although Saul would inquire of Jehovah, Jehovah never answered him, either in dreams or by the Urim or through the prophets. Finally Saul said to his servants: “Find me a woman who is a spirit medium, and I will go and consult her.” His servants replied: “Look! There is a woman who is a spirit medium in En-dor.” So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went to the woman by night with two of his men. He said: “Use divination, please, by acting as a spirit medium, and bring up for me the one whom I designate to you.” However, the woman said to him: “You must know what Saul did, how he removed the spirit mediums and the fortune-tellers from the land. Why, then, are you trying to trap me to have me put to death?” Saul then swore to her by Jehovah, saying: “As surely as Jehovah is alive, you will not incur any guilt in this matter!” At this the woman said: “Whom should I bring up for you?” He replied: “Bring up Samuel for me.” When the woman saw “Samuel,” she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul: “Why did you trick me? You are Saul!” The king said to her: “Do not be afraid, but what do you see?” The woman replied to Saul: “I see one like a god coming up out of the earth.” At once he asked her: “What does he look like?” to which she said: “It is an old man coming up, and he is clothed in a sleeveless coat.” At that Saul realized that it was “Samuel,” and he bowed low with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. Then “Samuel” said to Saul: “Why have you disturbed me by having me brought up?” Saul replied: “I am in great trouble. The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either through the prophets or in dreams; so that is why I am calling on you to let me know what I should do.” And “Samuel” said: “Why do you inquire of me now that Jehovah has departed from you and has become your adversary? Jehovah will do for himself what he foretold through me: Jehovah will rip the kingdom out of your hands and give it to one of your fellow men, David. Because you did not obey the voice of Jehovah and you did not execute his burning anger against the Amalekites, that is why Jehovah is doing this to you this day. Jehovah will also give both Israel and you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Jehovah will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”)
False Stories
Another way that Satan promotes the lie about the dead is through false stories. Such stories often turn people aside from Bible truth.-
(2 Timothy 4.4: They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories.)
CAPTION: Some think they have seen people who have returned from the dead
In Africa there are many tales about people who were seen alive after they died. Typically, such sightings are made far away from where the person lived. But ask yourself: ‘Does it seem reasonable that if a person had the power to come back from the dead, he would return to a place far away from his family and friends?’
Also, could it not be that the person seen merely resembled the person who had died? For example, two Christian ministers who were preaching in a country area noticed an old man who followed them for some hours. When they questioned him, they learned that the man thought one of the ministers was his brother who had died some years previously. Of course, he was wrong, but he refused to believe he was wrong. Imagine the story the old man later told his friends and neighbors!
Visions, Dreams, and Voices
CAPTION: The demons mislead through dreams, visions, and voices
No doubt you know about strange things people have seen, heard, or dreamed. Such supernatural experiences often frighten those having them. Marein, who lived in West Africa, regularly heard the voice of her late grandmother calling her at night. Terrified, Marein would scream, waking up her whole household. Eventually, she lost her sanity.
Now, if the dead were really alive, is it reasonable that they would terrify their loved ones? Of course not. The source of such hurtful messages is the demons.
But what about messages that seem to be helpful and comforting? For example, Gbassay, from Sierra Leone, was sick. She had a dream in which her late father appeared to her. He instructed her to go to a certain tree, take a leaf, mix it with water, and drink it. She was not to talk to anybody before doing so. She did this and got well.
Another woman said that her husband appeared to her one night after he died. She said he looked very nice and wore beautiful clothes.
Such messages and visions seem good and helpful. Are they from God? No, they are not. Jehovah is “the God of truth.”
(Psalm 31.5: Into your hand I entrust my spirit. You have redeemed me, O Jehovah, the God of truth.)
Never would he agree to tricking or deceiving us. Only the demons do that.
But are there good demons? No. Even though they may seem helpful at times, all of them are bad. When the Devil spoke with Eve, he seemed friendly.
(Genesis 3.1: Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?”)
But what resulted to her after she listened to him and did what he said? She died.
CAPTION: Satan said Eve would not die. Eve believed him, but eventually she died
You know that it is not uncommon for a bad person to be friendly to those he wants to deceive and cheat. “White teeth, black heart,” says the African proverb. And God’s Word says: “Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light.”-
(2 Corinthians 11.14: And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light.)
God no longer contacts people on earth by means of dreams, visions, or voices from the spirit world. He guides and instructs them through the Bible, which can make a person “completely equipped for every good work.”-
(2 Timothy 3.17: so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.)
Thus, when Jehovah warns us against the tricks of the Devil, he does so because he loves us. He knows the demons are dangerous enemies.
Part 7:
The Demons Encourage Rebellion Against God
CAPTION: Some customs are based on the lie that the dead are able to see us
But why do Satan and his demons work so hard to deceive people? Because they want us to join in their rebellion. They want us to worship them. They want us to believe their lies and to practice things that Jehovah does not like. Many of these practices involve customs related to the dead.
The death of a loved one is an emotionally painful experience, and it is normal and proper to express grief. After the death of his friend Lazarus, Jesus “gave way to tears.”-
(John 11.35: Jesus gave way to tears.)
There are many customs associated with death, and these vary widely throughout the world. Many do not conflict with Bible principles. Some practices, however, are based on the idea that the dead are alive and are able to see the living. Wakes, unrestrained mourning, and elaborate funeral ceremonies are all rooted in the fear of displeasing spirits of the dead. But since the dead are “conscious of nothing,” those practicing such things are promoting Satan’s falsehood.-
(Ecclesiastes 9.5: For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten.)
CAPTION: Other customs are based on the lie that the dead need our help
Other customs or ceremonies arise from the belief that the dead need help from the living and will harm the living if they are not appeased. In some lands feasting and sacrifices are held either 40 days or one year after a person’s death. This is supposed to help the deceased to ‘cross over’ to the spirit realm. Another common practice is to offer food and drink to the dead.
These things are wrong because they promote Satan’s lies about the dead. Would Jehovah approve of our having anything to do with customs based on the teachings of demons? Never!-
(2 Corinthians 6.14-18: Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I will reside among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”; “‘and I will take you in.’” “‘And I will become a father to you, and you will become sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah, the Almighty.”)
Servants of the true God do not have any share in practices that support Satan’s lies. Instead, they lovingly concentrate on helping the living and comforting them. They know that once a person has passed away, only Jehovah can help that one.-
(Job 14.14, 15: If a man dies, can he live again? I will wait all the days of my compulsory service Until my relief comes. You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.)
Spiritism Condemned by God
Some people get in touch with the demons directly or through a human medium. This is called spiritism. Voodoo, witchcraft, magic, fortune-telling, and inquiring of the dead are all forms of spiritism.
CAPTION: God is against these bad things. He requires exclusive devotion to himself.—Exodus 20:5
The Bible condemns these things, saying: “There should not be found in you anyone... who employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, or one who binds others with a spell or anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead. For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah.”-
(Deuteronomy 18.10-12: There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, anyone practicing magic, anyone who looks for omens, a sorcerer, anyone binding others with a spell, anyone who consults a spirit medium or a fortune-teller, or anyone who inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable practices Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you.)
Why does Jehovah warn us so strongly against these practices?
For our own welfare, Jehovah warns us against all forms of spiritism. He loves and cares for people, and he knows that those who get involved with demons are bound to suffer.
One such person was Nilda, who was a spirit medium in Brazil. The demons made her life a misery. She relates: “The spirits... possessed me, ordering me about. I alternated between states of consciousness and unconsciousness, and I was interned with psychiatric problems. The demons persecuted me so much that my nerves were affected. I took sedatives and began to drink and smoke constantly. This went on for years.”
CAPTION: Those who practice spiritism often fare badly. They can lose their home, their freedom, even their life
In time, with the help of Jehovah and his Witnesses on earth, Nilda broke free of demon influence and now lives a rich, wholesome life. She says: “I encourage all never, not for one instant, to become involved with the [wicked] spirits.”
Part 8:
Serve Jehovah, Not Satan
All of us have a choice. Either we serve Jehovah or we serve Satan and his demons. We cannot do both. How wise it is to serve Jehovah!
Jehovah Is Good
As we have seen, the demons enjoy hurting and deceiving people. Jehovah is not like that. He loves mankind as a father loves his children. He is the Giver of “every good gift and every perfect present.”
(James 1.17: Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, coming down from the Father of the celestial lights, who does not vary or change like the shifting shadows.)
He holds back nothing good from mankind, even at great cost to himself.-
(Ephesians 2.4-7: But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with the Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses—by undeserved kindness you have been saved. Moreover, he raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus, so that in the coming systems of things he might demonstrate the surpassing riches of his undeserved kindness in his graciousness toward us in union with Christ Jesus.)
CAPTION: Jesus, God’s Son, showed love for people by healing their sicknesses
Think about the things done on earth by Jesus, God’s Son. He made speechless ones speak and gave sight to the blind. He cured lepers and lame people. He expelled demons and cured all kinds of sickness. Jesus, by God’s power, even raised the dead to life.-
(Matthew 9.32-35: When they were leaving, look! people brought him a speechless man possessed of a demon; and after the demon had been expelled, the speechless man spoke. Well, the crowds were amazed and said: “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees were saying: “It is by the ruler of the demons that he expels the demons.” And Jesus set out on a tour of all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the Kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity.)
(Matthew 15.30, 31: Then large crowds approached him, bringing along people who were lame, maimed, blind, speechless, and many others, and they laid them at his feet, and he cured them. So the crowd felt amazement as they saw the speechless speaking and the maimed being made sound and the lame walking and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.)
(Luke 7.11-15: Soon afterward he traveled to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd were traveling with him. As he got near the gate of the city, why look! there was a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother. Besides, she was a widow. A considerable crowd from the city was also with her. When the Lord caught sight of her, he was moved with pity for her, and he said to her: “Stop weeping.” With that he approached and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. Then he said: “Young man, I say to you, get up!” And the dead man sat up and started to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.)
Instead of telling lies to mislead us, God always tells the truth. He never deceives anyone.-
(Numbers 23.19: God is not a mere man who tells lies, Nor a son of man who changes his mind. When he says something, will he not do it? When he speaks, will he not carry it out?)
Avoid Unclean Practices
Just as a spiderweb holds fast a fly, millions of people are held fast by superstition and falsehood. They fear the dead. They fear the demons. They worry about curses, omens, charms, and fetishes. They are bound by beliefs and traditions based on the lies of Satan the Devil. God’s servants are ensnared by none of these things.
Jehovah is far more powerful than Satan. If you serve Jehovah, he will protect you from the demons.
(James 4.7: Therefore, subject yourselves to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.)
Spells will not work on you. For example, in Nigeria, three powerful witch doctors cast spells to kill a Witness of Jehovah who refused to leave town. When the spells failed, one of the witch doctors became fearful, went to the Witness, and begged for mercy.
CAPTION: The Ephesians burned their books about magic
If the demons harass you, you can call on Jehovah by name and he will protect you.
(Proverbs 18.10: The name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous one runs and receives protection.)
But in order for you to have God’s protection, you must completely break free from everything associated with spiritism and demon worship. Worshipers of God in ancient Ephesus did that. They collected all their books on magic and burned them.
(Acts 19.19, 20: Indeed, quite a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them up before everybody. And they calculated their value and found them worth 50,000 pieces of silver. Thus in a mighty way, the word of Jehovah kept growing and prevailing.)
God’s servants today must do the same. Rid yourself of charms, amulets, “protective” strings, fetishes, magic books, and anything else connected with spiritistic practices.
Practice True Worship
If you want to please God, it is not enough merely to abandon false worship and to stop doing bad things. You must actively practice pure worship. The Bible shows what is required:
CAPTION: Attend Christian meetings.—Hebrews 10:24, 25 Study the Bible.—John 17:3
CAPTION: Preach to others.—Matthew 24:14 Pray to Jehovah.—Philippians 4:6, 7 Be baptized.—Acts 2:41
Associate With Jehovah’s Witnesses
Satan and the demons have people on earth that teach and practice wrong things. But Jehovah has a people also. They are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
(Isaiah 43.10: “You are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “Yes, my servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and have faith in me And understand that I am the same One. Before me no God was formed, And after me there has been none.)
Throughout the earth, there are more than six million Witnesses. All of them try hard to do good things and teach people the truth. In most lands, you can meet them at the Kingdom Hall, where they will warmly welcome you.
Their work is to help others serve God. They will study the Bible with you in your home, helping you learn how to worship Jehovah in the right way. You do not have to pay for this. The Witnesses are happy to teach the truth because they love people and they love Jehovah God.
CAPTION: Jehovah’s Witnesses will help you serve God
Part 9:
A Marvelous Future
CAPTION: Soon Satan and the demons will be put out of action
Satan and his demons will not deceive mankind much longer. Jehovah has already thrown them out of heaven.
(Revelation 12.9: So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.)
In the near future, God will again act against Satan and his demons. In a vision from God, the apostle John said: “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, that he might not mislead the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.”
(Revelation 20.1-3: And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years. And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not mislead the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After this he must be released for a little while.)
Later, the Devil and his demons will be destroyed forever.-
(Revelation 20.10: And the Devil who was misleading them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur, where both the wild beast and the false prophet already were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.)
Bad people on earth will also be done away with.-
(Psalm 37.9, 10: For evil men will be done away with, But those hoping in Jehovah will possess the earth. Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there.)
(Luke 13.5: No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all be destroyed, as they were.”)
The Dead Will Live Again!
CAPTION: The dead will come back to life on earth
After Satan and the demons are out of the way, Jehovah will bring many blessings to mankind. You will remember that the dead are lifeless, nonexistent. Jesus compared death to sleep-a deep sleep without dreams.
(John 11.11-14: After he said these things, he added: “Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am traveling there to awaken him.” The disciples then said to him: “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.” Jesus, however, had spoken about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly: “Lazarus has died,)
He did that because he knew the time would come when those asleep in death would be awakened to life. He said: “The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will... come out.”- compare
(John 5.28, 29: Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.)
(Acts 24.15: And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.)
They will be brought to life here on earth. Instead of announcements that people have died, joyful reports will tell of those who have been brought back to life! What a joy it will be to welcome loved ones back from the grave!
Part 10:
The Paradise Earth
Jehovah will completely undo all the bad that Satan has done. Jehovah has made Jesus the King over all the earth. Under his rulership, the earth will be made into a paradise.-
(Daniel 7.13, 14: “I kept watching in the visions of the night, and look! with the clouds of the heavens, someone like a son of man was coming; and he gained access to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him up close before that One. And to him there were given rulership, honor, and a kingdom, that the peoples, nations, and language groups should all serve him. His rulership is an everlasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom will not be destroyed.)
(Luke 23.43: And he said to him: “Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise.”)
Jehovah promises these things:
• PLENTY OF FOOD: “The earth itself will certainly give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.” “There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.”-
(Psalm 67.6: The earth will give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.)
(Psalm 72.16: There will be an abundance of grain on the earth; On the top of the mountains it will overflow. His fruit will flourish as in Lebanon, And in the cities people will blossom like the vegetation of the earth.)
• NO MORE WAR: “Come, you people, behold the activities of Jehovah, how he has set astonishing events on the earth. He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.”-
(Psalm 46.8, 9: Come and witness the activities of Jehovah, How he has done astonishing things on the earth. He is bringing an end to wars throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the military wagons with fire.)
• NO BAD PEOPLE: “For evildoers themselves will be cut off... And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be.”-
(Psalm 37.9, 10: For evil men will be done away with, But those hoping in Jehovah will possess the earth. Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there.)
• NO SICKNESS, SORROW, OR DEATH: “At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.”-
(Isaiah 35.5, 6: At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. At that time the lame will leap like the deer, And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert plain.)
“And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”-
(Revelation 21.3, 4: With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”)
Unlike Satan and the demons, Jehovah never lies. Everything he promises must come true.
(Luke 1.36, 37: And look! Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son, in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her, the so-called barren woman; for no declaration will be impossible for God.”)
Jehovah loves you and wants you to live in the Paradise that he will make. So contact Jehovah’s Witnesses to learn more about the marvelous truths found in God’s Word. If you apply the truth in your life, you will be set free from bondage to falsehood, superstition, and ignorance. In time, you will even be released from bondage to sin and death. As Jesus said: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”-
(John 8.32: and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”)
[End of article.]