Chapter 57 — SPIRITUALISM*

The doctrine that people are still alive after they die has prepared the way for modern Spiritualism. Spiritualism teaches that people who have died are in the presence of God and the holy angels. Spiritualism teaches that the dead know more than they did when they were alive on earth. If the dead know more then when they were living, they should come back to earth to teach the people who are living.SRme 1.1721

People who believe that a person never truly dies think that messages from "glorified spirits" are divine truth. People accept these messages as sacred. They do not know that Satan is working through his evil angels. These evil angels, who obey Satan, appear to people as messengers from the spirit world. Satan confuses people, making them believe they can speak with the dead.SRme 1.1722

Satan has power to make evil spirits look the same as people's dead friends. The looks, the words, the voices that people have known so well are copied perfectly. The deceived people are comforted, feeling that their relatives are enjoying the happiness of heaven. Many deceived people listen to evil spirits and doctrines of devils without realizing they are in terrible danger.SRme 1.1723

Satan deceives people into believing that the dead can return and communicate with living people. Then Satan causes spirits that look the same as dead people to appear. TheseSRme 1.1724

people were not ready to meet God whenSRme 1.1725

*Spiritualism: a belief that spirits of dead people communicate with living people, usually through persons called mediums or channelers. The spirits say these dead people are living happily in heaven and have important positions in heaven. Thus the error is widely taught that there is no difference between righteous people and wicked people.SRme 1.1726

The evil spirits who pretend to be people who have died sometimes give warnings that prove to be correct. This makes people believe in Spiritualism. Then the evil spirits present doctrines that destroy faith in the Scriptures. The evil spirits pretend to be deeply interested in helping people, but they teach dangerous errors.SRme 1.1727

Evil spirits tell some truths and are right sometimes when they predict future events. What the evil angels say seems to be truth, so people believe the evil angels. People believe these angels the same as the Bible.SRme 1.1728

Evil spirits teach people not to obey the law of God. These evil spirits despise the Spirit of grace and consider Christ's blood to have no value. Evil spirits deny that Jesus was the Son of God. They say the Creator is no greater than the evil spirits themselves. Satan began his war against God when he lived in heaven. He has continued that war on earth for nearly six thousand years. Now Satan is using Spiritualism as part of his plan to deceive people.SRme 1.1729

Many people explain everything that seems to involve the spirit world by saying someone is tricking or fooling them. But not everything can be explained as a trick. Some appearances and displays are real. The mysterious knockings that started modern Spiritualism were not the result of human trickery. Spiritualism is the work of evil angels. Spiritualism is one of the best plans Satan has devised for deceiving people. Many people who think Spiritualism is only human trickery will be deceived when they come in contact with strange happenings that are far beyond human power. These people will be led to accept Satan's evil work as the great power of God.SRme 1.1730

People would not be deceived if they studied and believed the Scriptures. The Scriptures tell of the wonders that Satan and his angels can do. The Scriptures explain that Satan helped Pharaoh's wise men to imitate the work of God. And the apostle John describes the miracle-working power that will be seen in the last days. John says: "It [Satan's power] works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men; and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it [Satan's power] deceives those who dwell on earth" (Rev. 13:13, 14, RSV).SRme 1.1731

The miracles spoken of here are real and true. They are not imitations or trickery. People are deceived by the miracles Satan's angels actually have power to do.SRme 1.1732