Things that Go "Bump in the Night"

When I was a child I was terrified of ghosts. This was probably due to having an older brother who got some morbid sense of joy from scaring the snot out of me. Nonetheless, my irrational fear persisted. This was so prevalent that I would sleep, at times, with the light on and snuggle with my favorite stuffed animal. Ok. Now that I’ve shared this embarrassing truth, and grown out of my fear (for the most part), I want to examine what the Bible says about ghosts and spirits that allegedly haunt the living.

Why even look at this topic? Simple really. Americans, including many Christians, are infatuated with ghosts. An unscientific BeliefNet poll found that 48% of Americans claim to believe in ghosts. Recent polls by Pew Research and Barna found that the percent of Christians who say they believe ghosts are real is not much less than that of the general American populace. Our infatuation with the “undead” can be seen in the popularity of shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International.

 

What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts?

Is there such a thing as ghosts? Dictionary.com defines ghost as, “the soul of a dead person, a disembodied spirit.” If that is what is meant by ghost, then the Bible is undeniably clear that the answer is “no.” Why would this be true? Hebrews 9:27 states, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” From this verse it is clear that the only scenario left for the soul that has left this life for the next is judgment. The writer of Hebrews gives us no hint when this judgment will take place, but it is clear that it is after death. The result of this judgment is eternal fellowship with God in Heaven for the believer (cf. 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:23) and eternal torment in Hell for the unbeliever (cf. Matt. 25:46; Luke 16:22-24). Scripture never speaks of an in-between state of existence. Rather, Paul unequivocally states that to be “away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8) for the believer. Jesus simply states in His account in Luke 16 that when the rich man died he was immediately found being tormented in Hell. Nowhere in the New Testament is it implied that disembodied spirits of dead people haunt or walk among the living. 

If you want to talk about the spirit world in general, then the Bible is clear that a spirit world beyond the human plane of existence does indeed exist and is active among us. There are, according to Scripture, spirit beings, both good and evil, which exist and do invade our world. The evil are referred to as “demons” or “devils,” while the good are called “angels.” These spirit beings, whether good or evil, do interact with the human realm. In Mark 5:1-20 a legion of demonic beings possessed a man and used him to “haunt” a graveyard. Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, that demons masquerade as “angels of light” and “servants of righteousness.”

The Bible teaches very clearly that there are indeed spirit beings that can connect with and appear in our physical world. The Bible identifies these beings as angels and demons. Angels are spirit beings who are faithful in serving God. Angels are righteous, good, and holy. Demons are fallen angels, angels who rebelled against God. Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. Christ said that Satan, the demonic leader, was a murderer and liar from the beginning (John 8:44), while John refers to him as the one who accuses Christians before God (Rev. 12:10). According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light” and as “servants of righteousness.” Appearing as a “ghost” and impersonating a deceased human being definitely seem to be within the power and abilities that demons possess. They will do anything within their power to deceive people, to lead people away from God. This is very likely the explanation of “ghostly” activity today. Whether it is called a ghost, a ghoul, or a poltergeist, if there is genuine evil spiritual activity occurring, it is the work of demons.

 

Can People Be Summoned from the Dead?

What about psychics who claim to summon the deceased and gain true and useful information from them? Again, it is crucial to remember that the goal of demons is to deceive. If the result is that people trust in a psychic instead of God, a demon will be more than willing to reveal true information. Even good and true information, if from a source with evil motives, can be used to mislead, corrupt, and destroy. I believe that if a psychic was ever to truly encounter the person they intended to summon from the afterlife, it would scare them to death. There is only one such instance recorded in the Bible. In 1 Samuel 28:7-20, we find the medium that lived at Endor. She was approached by Saul to conjure the spirit of Samuel. Samuel did appear, but to the surprise and terror of the medium (cf. v. 12). She definitely didn’t get who she expected, but the real Samuel. No other instance is recorded in Scripture. In fact, both the Old and New Testaments expressly forbid the practice. The New Testament even goes so far to say that those who do so are unbelievers and not part of the faith (1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 21:8; 22:15).

 

Can People Die, Go to Heaven, and Return?

This is a real biggie today. The popularity in Christian circles of the book, and subsequent study materials, Heaven Is For Real by Colton Burpo has made this a topic for discussion among believers. In the work, Burpo alleges that his young son died, went to heaven where he had a long conversation and tour from Jesus, and returned to his body. Over the course of the next few years, the boy divulged what happened and his dad wrote the book. This isn’t the place for a full review of the book (though I may later). Suffice it to say that there is only one hint that anyone ever did this in Scripture, and it is quite debatable. In 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Paul says that he knew a man who had been “caught up to the third heaven.” He did not identify the person, though many scholars believe Paul was referring to himself, but simply states that it happened. He went on to say that he did not know if the man was “in the body or out of the body” (i.e. alive or dead). He goes on to further say that what the man saw while there “cannot be uttered” (he was not permitted to speak about it). If such occurrences were as common place as they seem to be today, why did we not have it recorded more than this one tenuous text in Scripture? Simple. It doesn’t happen. One must remember that Paul was an apostle, and the context of 2 Corinthians 12 was his discussion regarding visions and revelation. It simply doesn’t happen. Why? Go back to the text I mentioned above (2 Cor. 5:8). When a believer dies, he goes to be with Christ.

Though interest in the paranormal is becoming increasingly common, even among Christians, that doesn’t mean it should become acceptable. There are individuals and businesses that claim to be “ghost-hunters,” who, for a price, will rid your home of ghosts. Psychics, séances, tarot cards, and mediums are increasingly considered normal – even to believers. Human beings are innately aware of the spiritual world. Sadly, instead of seeking the truth about the spirit world by studying Scripture, too many Christians allow themselves to be led astray by the spirit world. The demons surely laugh at the spiritual mass-deception that exists in the Church today. It’s time to renew our thinking on this subject to be sure.