Modern Spiritualism

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 11, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 11.

Modern Spiritualism

1. What class of beings is God using besides men?

"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of MANY ANGELS round about the throne; . . . and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." Rev. 5:11.

2. What is their office-work respecting man?

"Are they not all MINISTERING SPIRITS, sent forth to minister FOR THEM WHO SHALL BE HEIRS OF SALVATION?" Heb. 1:14; see also Ps. 34:7; Matt. 18:10.

Note that these angels are not men or those who have once lived as men or women upon the earth; for (1) They lived before the earth was created (Job 38:4-7); (2) They were upon this earth before any human being died (Gen. 3:24); they are a distinct order of intelligences (Heb. 2:7). Cherubim belong to orders or divisions of angels.

Samuel and the Witch of Endor. An ancient Spiritistic seance, in which the "familiar spirit" comes in the guise of Samuel, and in which the king is so deceived that he believes the demon to be the prophet.

3. What being of malefic, evil influence is working against God's truth and children?

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary THE DEVIL, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.

4. Who is associated with him in his fall and work?

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called THE DEVIL, AND SATAN, which DECEIVETH the WHOLE WORLD; he was cast out into the earth, and HIS ANGELS were cast out with him." Rev. 12:9.

"THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS." Matt. 25:41.

NOTE.—This being, called by Ezekiel "the King of Tyre," because of his control of Tyre, was the highest of all created beings, one of the bright cherubim of God (Eze. 28:12, 14), and was called before his fall "Lucifer," the "Day-star" (Isa. 14:12-14). When he fell, he took with him a third part of the angels. Rev. 12:4; 2 Peter 2:4. These angels or messengers and minions of Satan are called "demons," rendered "devils" thruout the Gospels, but better demons. But one being, Satan, is rightly called the devil. Wherever it occurs in the plural, it is "demons." Satan sends these messengers out into all the world. Rev. 16:14. He has his throne, his synagogues where the worship of the false gods is taught, or the worship of the true God perverted. Rev. 3:9. In short, the devil has systematic, organized work in this world, with no vacations.

5. What did God tell man the consequence of his sin would be?

"In the day that thou eatest thereof, THOU SHALT SURELY DIE." Gen. 2:17.

6. How did Satan deceive man?

"Ye shall NOT surely die; . . . ye shall BE AS GODS." Gen. 3:4, 5.

7. What does the Lord say of the dead in His word?

"The dead KNOW NOT ANYTHING." Eccl. 9:5.

8. But does not this refer to physical life alone?

"His breath goeth forth; he returneth to his earth; in that very day HIS THOUGHTS PERISH." Ps. 146:4.

"His sons come to honor, and he KNOWETH IT NOT; and they are brought low, but he PERCEIVETH IT NOT of them." Ps. 14:21. See Eccl. 9:6.

NOTE.—It is clearly evident from these scriptures that the dead do not communicate with the living upon this earth. They know naught of what is taking place. The sleep of death is absolutely unconscious.

9. What service does the Lord require?

"Thou shalt WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD, and HIM ONLY shalt thou SERVE." Matt. 4:10.

10. What worship does the adversary of souls teach?

"All these things will I give thee, if Thou wilt fall down and WORSHIP ME." Matt. 4:9.

"Let us go AFTER OTHER GODS, . . . and let us SERVE THEM." Deut. 13:2.

11. What special classes of persons have always received honor?

The parents, the aged and great, and the dead.

NOTE.—Satan has ever used this regard, reverence, and love to deceive the race. He made them believe that the loved and honored were not really dead, but were exalted into demigods and gods. Thence came ancestor, and hero-worship; thence also the fallible human characters and dispositions attributed to the false gods.

12. How did the Moabites lead Israel astray?

"And they called the people unto the SACRIFICES OF THEIR GODS; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods." Num. 25:2.

13. In whose behalf were these sacrifices offered?

"They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the SACRIFICES OF THE DEAD." Ps. 106:28.

14. How is this elsewhere spoken of?

"The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, THEY SACRIFICE TO DEVILS, and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with the devils." 1 Cor. 10:20. See also Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37; Lev. 17:7.

15. What special prohibition did God lay upon His people concerning these things?

"There shall not be found among you . . . an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a WITCH, or a charmer, or a CONSULTER WITH FAMILIAR SPIRITS, or a WIZARD, or a NECROMANCER. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord." Deut. 18:10-12. See also Lev. 19:31.

NOTE.—Necromancy was "the art of foretelling the future by means of pretended communication with the dead."—See Standard Dictionary. A wizard or witch is a person who has communication with spirits. "Familiar spirits" are those spirits of the dead supposed to be at the call of the necromancers or witches. See "Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia."

16. Because of the subversion of the entire nation by such teaching, and the consequent loss of many souls, what did God say should be done with witches under the Theocracy?

"Thou shalt NOT suffer a WITCH TO LIVE." Ex. 22:18.

17. What noted example is given of consulting familiar spirits?

King Saul consulting the witch of Endor. 1 Sam. 28:17-20. Read the account.

18. What was Saul's condition?

"The LORD answered him NOT, neither by DREAMS, nor by URIM, nor by PROPHETS." Verse 6.

19. To whom, then, when forsaken of God, did Saul seek?

"Seek me a WOMAN that hath a FAMILIAR SPIRIT, that I MAY GO to her, and INQUIRE OF HER." Verse 7.

20. How did God regard this act of Saul's?

"So SAUL DIED for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for ASKING COUNSEL OF ONE THAT HAD A FAMILIAR SPIRIT, TO INQUIRE OF IT." 1 Chron. 10:13.

NOTE.—The reader will observe: (1) That the woman was of a class forbidden a place in the kingdom. (2) She had a "familiar

spirit," a pretended spirit of the dead. (3) Saul called for Samuel; it was the business of the woman to pretend to produce him immediately. (4) This familiar spirit told the woman it was Saul the king. (5) Saul asked what SHE saw, and she replied that it was an old man who came up, with a mantle. (6) Then Saul "perceived," or understood, from the woman's description, that it was Samuel. (7) This pretended Samuel speaks as tho he were Samuel, and reproves Saul, and tells him that he will be killed on the morrow—a very doubtful thing. It was probably the day after. Now, was this Samuel?—No, thrice no; for (1) neither man nor woman has the power of the resurrection; (2) It was not a resurrection, for the woman dwelt in Endor, while Samuel was buried at Ramah, miles away. (3) It was not Samuel's soul, according to the popular view, for this old man "came up," while the souls are supposed to come down; and further, why should immortal souls be clothed with mantles? and, if with God, why "old"? (4) The first thing this spirit did was to warn the woman by telling who Saul was. (5) It is not to be believed that God would send a message to Saul thru forbidden agencies, when He had refused to answer him thru regular channels. (6) Neither would the Lord have punished Saul for consulting a witch if He had thus communicated with Saul. (7) "The dead know not anything." The fact is, this story of old is like many stories of spiritual seances set in ancient mosaics.

21. What was constantly met by our Lord at His first advent?

"THOSE WHICH WERE POSSESSED WITH DEVILS." Matt. 4:24, and elsewhere.

22. As we near His second coming, what are we told to expect?

"Now the SPIRIT SPEAKETH EXPRESSLY, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS, and doctrines of DEVILS." 1 Tim. 4:1.

23. How will Satan work thru these evil angels?

"With all POWER and SIGNS, and LYING WONDERS, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." 2 Thess. 2:9, 10.

24. How will the nations be affected by these malevolent agencies?

"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 that great day of God Almighty." Rev. 16:14.

NOTE.—Sherman well said, "War is hell." We may not wonder at this when we learn that it is the spirits of demons which stir it up.

25. What instruction does God give for those who are urged to seek unto spirits for information?

"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have FAMILIAR SPIRITS and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter; should not a people SEEK UNTO THEIR GOD? ON BEHALF OF THE LIVING SHOULD THEY SEEK UNTO THE DEAD!" Isa. 8:19, A.R.V.

26. What is the great test by which we are to judge all teaching?

"To the LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them ["no light in them," Common Version]." Isa. 8:20.

NOTE.—Satan works in many forms to deceive, and wisely has he planned. He comes as "an angel of light." He comes in the guise of our loved dead. He laid the immortal-soul-theory track in the very beginning, and now, in these days, the mighty train-loads of persons of various sorts and cults, of many countries, numbering rulers, nobles, judges, politicians, bankers, scientists, among their many millions, are rushing with accelerating speed down grade to destruction. Every cult which is essentially based on the immortal-soul theory will sooner or later be found among the ranks of spiritists. We may ridicule and laugh at its claims. We may know there is deception, sham, and counterfeit; but there is also reality. God's angels will care for all those who are willing to follow His word.