Spiritualism: The Satanic Deception and Its Fruits
By J. H. Waggoner
The satanic nature of this deception being so clearly defined in the Scriptures, and its teachings being so immoral, and so debasing in their tendencies, its final result can be only terrible. When we consider the fact that large assemblies of men and women, many of them intelligent and educated, and who have occupied respectable positions in society, will applaud to the echo the most blasphemous and licentious utterances of such creatures as Mrs. Woodhull, and, as she says in her report of the Vineland meeting, hail them “with yells of delight,” we tremble for the fate of the rising generation, who must come more or less within the reach of such corrupting influences. And with these facts before us, we have often been led to wonder that so many ministers of the various religious denominations confess that spiritualism is satanic in its nature, that it is only evil in its influence over the minds and hearts of its followers, and who know that its believers are numbered by millions, yet scarcely ever sound a word of warning, or put forth any effort to stay its work of destruction. Why this indifference regarding a subject of such vast importance, in which are involved such tremendous consequences? We think the reason may be found in the position they occupy in regard to two points of religious belief, namely, the doctrine of immortality, and of the second coming of Christ. The doctrine of the immortality of the soul is the very corner-stone of spiritualism, and by many is considered a cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith. Both classes deny that immortality is to be sought for by patient continuance in well doing, or that it is only to be found in the gospel of Christ, and to be put on at the resurrection. Rom. 2: 7; 2 Tim. 1: 10; 1 Cor. 15: 51–54. Both believe that “death is only a birth into a higher life;” that it is “the gate to endless joy,” and of course they must disbelieve or hold very lightly the Scripture declarations that it is the result and wages of sin. Rom. 5: 12, and 6: 23. Both deny that “the dead know not anything;” that “in death there is no remembrance” of God and that “the dead praise not the Lord.” Eccl. 9: 5; Ps. 6: 5; 115: 17. They do not believe that the domain of death is “the land of the enemy,” and “the land of forgetfulness.” Jer. 31: 15, 16; Ps. 88: 10–12. Spiritualists deny, and religionists almost entirely ignore, the doctrine of the resurrection. Neither class find any practical use for that doctrine, believing that men go to their reward without a resurrection, and without awaiting the decisions of a day of Judgment. If professors of the popular faith think that we are unjust or severe in this, we will give them the opinion of Dr. Clarke, and also remind them that what was true in his day is more strikingly true now, as the popular faith is swaying farther from the teachings of the Bible on this subject. Dr. Clarke, on 1 Cor. 15, says:— “One remark I cannot help making: The doctrine of the resurrection appears to have been thought of much more consequence among the primitive Christians than it is now! How is this? The apostles were continually insisting on it, and exciting the followers of God to diligence, obedience, and cheerfulness through it. And their successors in the present day seldom mention it! So apostles preached and so primitive Christians believed; so we preach, and so our hearers believe. There is not a doctrine in the gospel on which more stress is laid; and there is not a doctrine in the present system of preaching which is treated with more neglect.” And his estimate of the importance of the doctrine of the resurrection is yet more clearly shown in his comment on verse 32 of the same chapter:— “What the apostle says here is a legitimate and regular conclusion from the doctrine that there’s no resurrection. For if there be no resurrection, then there can be no Judgment—no future state of rewards and punishments; why, therefore, should we bear crosses, and keep ourselves under continual discipline? Let us eat and drink, and take all the pleasure we can, for to-morrow we die; and there is an end of us forever.” Should the church again return to the faith of the gospel, to look for the fruition of the hope of life through Jesus and the resurrection; should they accept the promise of the Saviour that we “shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just;” Luke 14: 14; that the prophets, and all that fear the name of God, will receive their reward after the Judgment; Rev. 11: 15–18; and that this reward is brought unto them at the coming of Christ; Rev. 22: 12; and believe also that the unjust are reserved to the day of Judgment to be punished; 2 Pet. 2: 9; could they be brought to realize that death is an enemy; 1 Cor. 15: 24; that it was introduced into the world by Satan; Heb. 2: 14; then spiritualism would have no foundation in their faith, and they could successfully meet its encroachments. But while they think more of the sophistries of heathen philosophers than of the truths of revelation concerning the realities of life and death, so long must they be powerless before this monster delusion of the age, this determined foe of the Bible and of morality. Again, opposition to the doctrine of the Lord’s coming binds the hands of the churches and of their ministers so that they cannot do their duty to the world, in giving a faithful warning against the workings of Satan as manifested in the wonders and errors of spiritualism. The doctrines of the second coming of Christ and of the resurrection of the just are inseparably connected. One cannot be rejected or neglected and the other be retained. They stand or fall together. And they who lightly esteem the second coming of Christ cannot highly value the resurrection; for without that coming there can be no resurrection. 1 Cor. 15: 50–54; 1 Thess. 4: 13–18. It is a truth which cannot be disputed, that every text of Scripture which points out the work of spiritualism, which serves to identify it as the work of the arch-deceiver, goes to prove that we are in the last days, and that the coming of the Lord draws near. When the Saviour warns of the deceptions of false Christs and false prophets, who will show great signs and wonders, it is in a discourse concerning his coming, and the end of the world. Matt. 24. Paul says in the latter, or last, times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. 1 Tim. 4: 1. Also his prophecy of “the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” is in the instruction he is giving concerning the coming of Christ. 2 Thess. 2; compare 1 Thess. 4 and 5. In the prophecy of the beast with two horns like a lamb, which is to make an image to the first or ten-horned beast, the miracles of modern spiritualism are accurately described. Rev. 13: 11–14. But these things take place just before the Son of man appears upon the white cloud to reap the harvest of the earth. See and compare Rev. 14: 9–15. And the last phase of this work of iniquity, the grand result of this “working of Satan,” is shown in Rev. 16, just before the advent of the Saviour and the battle of the great day of the Lord. Under the pouring of the sixth plague it is written:— “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.” Rev. 16: 13, 14. By comparing the first verses of this chapter with the texts referred to in chapters 13 and 14, it will be seen that the first of the seven plagues is poured out upon those who suffered themselves to be deceived by the miracles wrought by the two-horned beast, and who did not heed the warning of the third angel, and the call to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And between the time of the beginning of these miracles to deceive, and the coming of Jesus, these plagues are all poured out; for under the sixth one, under which the kings of the whole world are gathered to the last great battle, the Saviour says, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth.” The battle is fought under the seventh, the last, plague. Under this plague the Son of man appears, to take vengeance on his foes. If these scriptures do not point out the work of spiritualism, then we think it cannot be identified in the Bible. But if they do point it out, as we think, then the evidence is unmistakable that we are in the last days, and the Lord Jesus will soon come again. How grand and solemn is the thought that the Lord is coming, and that the day of his coming is now very near, and is hastening greatly,—day of redemption to the people of God; of the fulfillment of their hopes,—day of joy to them that look for him, for to such shall he appear without sin unto salvation—but day of terror to the unjust; for he shall come to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel—day to sweep away the refuge of lies, and to destroy the false hopes of the hypocrites and the self-deceived.