“People are destined to die once and then face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 CEB).
As we continue our look at ghosts and related spiritual entities in the context of Hebrews 9:27, we now stop to consider the Biblical warnings issued to those who seek to engage with these “spirits of the dead.” Perhaps the clearest admonition against this practice is found in the Biblical book of Deuteronomy…
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or 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” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
Leviticus 20:6 adds the following…
“I will be your enemy if you go to someone who claims to speak with the dead, and I will destroy you from among my people” (CEV).
We find another example in 1 Chronicles 10:13-14. In that portion of Scripture, we learn that Israel’s king Saul lost his life because he visited a medium and made a request to bring the prophet Samuel back from the dead. The events that led to Saul’s death are instructive for anyone who seeks to learn from his unfortunate example.
Saul desperately sought to reach Samuel to seek his direction regarding an upcoming military campaign. Saul pursued that course of action because God refused to provide him with any further guidance in light of his earlier decisions. In this instance, God permitted Samuel to speak with Saul, but the message Saul received from Samuel was not the one he sought…
“Why ask me if the Lord has left you and has become your enemy? …All this has come upon you because you did not obey the Lord’s instructions… What’s more, the entire Israeli army will be routed and destroyed by the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me” (1 Samuel 28:16, 18-19 TLB).
Finally, the book of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah offers some practical advice for anyone who might foolishly seek to consult the dead for their advice…
“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” (Isaiah 8:19 NIV).