Communicating with the Dead in the Old Testament
Maybe you have lost a loved one and have wondered if it would be possible to communicate with them again? Or maybe you feel like a deceased person is trying to communicate with you? Let’s examine what the bible says about communicating with the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:10-11 And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead.
In this passage, Moses is talking to the people of Israel before they go into the promised land, and he is warning against messing with the spirit world. Your first reaction to this may be confusion because you love the person with whom you want to communicate. Maybe you get a strong sense that the loved one is trying to communicate with you, and you can feel the familiarity of them? However, God does not allow the dead to talk to the living, so it is likely that if you are communicating with a spirit then it is a demon.
Communicating with the Dead in the New Testament
Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
This passage from the New Testament (NT) was written by the apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus. He explains that there is a real spiritual world that we can’t see that is filled with evil spirits. Then he goes on to talk about putting on the full armor of God, including the helmet of salvation which represents the protection of your mind.
If you feel like you or your kids are speaking to the dead or communicating with deceased loved ones, stop and flee! What is probably happening is that you are opening yourself up to demonic activity in your life. Do not entertain dark spirits by opening up a line of communication with them, flee from the devil and run to God (James 4:7).
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Do you believe loved ones can communicate from beyond the grave? Why or why not?
- Read Deuteronomy 18:10-11. Do you believe this verse is still valid today? Explain.
- Read Ephesians 6:12. What is this verse saying about the spiritual world around us? How does that affect the way you think about this issue?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
