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 that great day of God Almighty. (Rev 16:14)
When I was a young child my Great Grandfather died. I remember two things in particular that shell-shocked me during that event. One, I was told to “kiss him” while he was lying there in the viewing room, and two, I was told how “he is happy in heaven now.” My reasoning, as a kid in The United Church was simple. I kept thinking well, “if Great Grandpa can see me crying like this now, how could he be so “happy in heaven?” “I thought there will be “no more crying” in heaven? (Rev 21:4)
What was the devil’s first lie on Earth?
“The serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die’ ” (Genesis 3:4). Who is this “serpent?” “That serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan” (Revelation 12:9).
You will not “surely die.” This is the first lie the devil ever told us. “You will not surely die!” The Bible says the opposite.
Why did the devil lie to Eve about death? How important is this subject?
The devil’s lie that we will not die is one of the pillars of his teachings. For thousands of years, he has worked powerful, deceptive miracles to trick people into thinking they are receiving messages from the spirits of the dead. (Examples: Magicians of Egypt—Exodus 7:11; Woman of Endor—1 Samuel 28:3–25; Sorcerers—Daniel 2:2; A slave girl—Acts 16:16–18.)
How were we created in the beginning?
“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul/being” (Genesis 2:7).
God made us from dust in the beginning. God added the breath of life and only THEN were we called in scripture, “a living soul”
What happens when a person dies?
“Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
The body turns to dust again, and the spirit goes back to God, who gave it. The spirit of every person who dies—whether saved or unsaved—returns to God at death. But we are never “a living soul” again until the resurrection.
What is the spirit that returns to God when we die?
“The body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26).
“The spirit of God is in my nostrils” ( Job 27:3 KJV).
The spirit that returns to God at death is the “breath of life.” Nowhere in all of God’s book does the “spirit” have any life, wisdom, or feeling afer a person dies. It is the “breath of life” and nothing more.
What exactly is a soul?
“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7 KJV).
A soul is a living being. A soul is always a combination of two things: body plus breath. A soul cannot exist unless body and breath are combined together. God’s Word teaches that we are souls—not that we have souls. Big difference.
Can a “living soul” die?
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20 KJV). “Every living soul died in the sea” (Revelation 16:3 KJV).
According to God’s Word,souls do die! We are souls, and souls die. Man is mortal ( Job 4:17). Only God is immortal (1 Timothy 6:15,16). The concept of an undying,immortal soul is not found in the Bible,
which teaches that souls are subject to death
Do “good people” go to heaven when they die?
“All who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth” (John 5:28,29). “David is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.For David did not yet ascend into the heavens” (Acts 2:29, 34).
“If I wait, the grave is mine house” (Job 17:13 KJV). People do not go to heaven or to hell at death. They don’t go anywhere—but they wait in their graves for the resurrection. (see 1 Thes 4:15-18)
How much does one know or comprehend at death?
“The living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun. There is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:4,5,6,10).
“The dead do not praise the Lord” (Psalms 115:17).
God says that the dead know absolutely nothing!
Can the dead communicate with the living? Are the dead aware of what the living are doing now?
“Man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep. … His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he does not perceive it” ( Job 14:12, 21). “Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:6). No. The dead cannot contact the living, nor do they know what the living are doing. They are dead. Their thoughts have perished (Psalm 146:4 KJV).
Jesus called death a sleep. (John 11:11,13) How long will that sleep last?
“Man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more” ( Job 14:12). “The day of the Lord will come in which the heavens will pass away” (2 Peter 3:10).
The dead will sleep until the great day of the Lord at the end of the world. In death, people are totally unconscious with no activity or knowledge of any kind. The Bible says that “death is the last ENEMY to be destroyed,” (1 Cor 15:26) yet many defy this idea from scripture by making death out to be some kind of friend. bringing us into the peace of Heaven before the resurrection.
What are some praying to when they pray to a “saint” or talking to “lost loved ones” in a seance?
What happens to the righteous dead at the second coming of Jesus?
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12). “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17).
“We shall all be changed—in a moment,in the twinkling of an eye and the dead will be raised incorruptible. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51–53).
They will be rewarded. They will be raised, given immortal bodies,and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. There would be no purpose in a resurrection if people were just taken to heaven at death. The Bible doesn’t tell us to comfort one another with such words, anywhere.
A Serious Warning!
In the near future, Satan will again use sorcery—as he did in the prophet Daniel’s day—to deceive the world (Rev 16:14)
And the light of a lamp will never more shine at all in you. And the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will never more be heard at all in you. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth; for by your sorceries all nations were deceived. (Revelation 18:23).
Among other things, sorcery is a supernatural agency that claims to receive its power and wisdom from the spirits of the dead. Babylon’s influence is seen as corrupting all the nations. Political arts, state tricks, counterfeit miracles, and deceptive maneuvers of every kind. The various arts and crafts that have been employed in her midst, and have ministered to her desires, shall be practiced no more. The pompous music that has been heard in her imposing but formal and lifeless service, dies away forever.
The scenes of festivity and gladness, when the bridegroom and the bride have been led before her altars, shall be witnessed no more. Her sorceries constitute her leading crime, and sorcery is a practice which is involved in the spiritism of today. “In her was found the blood” of “all that were slain upon the earth.” From this it is evident that ever since the introduction of a false religion into the world, Babylon has existed. In her has been found, all along, opposition to the work of God, and persecution of His people. (Rev 16:6)
Posing as Jesus’ dead disciples.
Posing as godly loved ones who have died, posing as saintly clergymen who are now dead, posing as Bible prophets, or even posing as the apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13), Satan and his angels will deceive billions. Those who believe the dead are alive, in any form,will in the end be deceived. When Jesus was asked by His disciples what will be the signs of His coming, the very first thing Jesus said was:
“take care that no person deceive you…” (Mat 24:4)
Do devils really work miracles?
“For they are the spirits of devils,working miracles” (Revelation 16:14, KJV).
“False Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).
Yes indeed! Devils work incredibly convincing miracles (Revelation 13:13, 14). Satan will appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and, even more shocking, as Christ Himself (Matthew 24:23, 24). The universal
feeling will be that Christ and His angels are leading out in a fantastic worldwide revival. The entire emphasis will seem so spiritual and be so supernatural that only God’s elect will not be deceived. An event to be noticed under this plague (Rev 16:13,14) is the issuing forth of the three unclean spirits to gather the nations to the great battle.
The agency now already abroad in the world known as modern spiritism, is in every way a fitting means to be employed in this work. Before the spirits can have such absolute authority over the human race as to gather them to battle against the King of kings and Lord of lords, they must first win their way among the nations of the earth, and cause their teaching to be received as of divine authority and their word as law. This work they are now doing, and when they shall have finally gained full influence over the nations in question, what fitter instrument could be employed to gather them to be so rash and hopeless an enterprise?
It is not likely that God’s people will be deceived on this point of spiritism, because:
“They received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). “If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).
God’s people will know from their study of His Word that the dead are dead, not alive. They will know that a “spirit” claiming to be a deceased loved one, or a saint, is really a devil! God’s people will reject all teachers and miracle workers who claim to receive special “light” or to work miracles by contacting the spirits of the dead. Or to pray to so called “saints.” And God’s people will likewise reject as dangerous and false all teachings that claim the dead are alive in any form, anywhere. This is the first and the last lie! This lie will be used to deceive many people in the last days prior to the second coming of Jesus. The miracles will be so real, that we cannot tell the difference just by our senses. We must go by God’s Word alone.
In the days of Moses, what did God command that should be done to people who taught that the dead were “really” alive?
“A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones” (Leviticus 20:27). God insisted that mediums and others with “familiar spirits” (who
claimed to be able to contact the dead) should be stoned to death. This shows how God regards the false teaching that the dead are alive.
It sounds harsh. yes. But let us be thankful this is not how it is today. We are promised that if we are far off (from Christ) then “the cross makes us near.” (Eph 2:13)
Will the righteous who are raised in the resurrection ever die again?
“Those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead … nor can they die anymore” (Luke 20:35, 36). “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
No! Death, sorrow, crying, and tragedy will never enter into God’s new kingdom. “When this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ” (1 Corinthians 15:54). “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor 15:26)
Belief in things like reincarnation are becoming more popular by the day. What does the Bible say about reincarnation?
“The living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing. Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6). Almost half the people on earth believe in reincarnation, a teaching that the soul never dies but is instead continually reborn into a different kind of body with each succeeding generation. This teaching, however, is contrary to Scripture. The Bible tells us that after death a person returns to dust (Psalms 104:29), knows nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5), possesses no mental powers (Psalms 146:4), has nothing to do with anything on earth (Ecclesiastes 9:6), does not live (2 Kings 20:1), waits in the grave (Job 17:13),and continues not(Job 14:1 2).
Satan’s Inventions
There are some things that we can and should blame on the devil. Satan invented the teaching that the dead are alive. Reincarnation, channeling, communication with spirits, spirit worship,and the “undying soul” are all inventions of Satan, with one aim to deceive/convince people that when you die you are not really dead. When people believe that the dead are alive, “spirits of devils, working miracles” (Revelation 16:14) and posing as spirits of the dead will be able to deceive and lead them astray virtually 100 percent of the time (Matthew 24:24), unless they go by God’s Word only.
Concluding Thoughts
1/ Didnt the thief on the cross go directly to paradise with Christ on the day He died?
No. In fact, on Sunday morning Jesus said to Mary, “I have not yet ascended to My Father” ( John 20:17). This shows that Christ did not go to heaven at death. It’s important to note that the punctuation we see in the Bible today is not original, but added centuries later by translators. The comma in Luke 23:43 would be better placed after the word “today” rather than before, so that the passage reads,
“Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Another way to put this verse that makes sense in the immediate context is:
“I’m telling you today—when it seems that I can save no one, when I Myself am being crucified as a criminal—I give you the assurance today that you will be with me in Paradise.”
Christ’s kingdom of glory will be set up at His second coming (Matthew 25:31),and the righteous of all ages will enter it at that time (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17)and not at death.
2/ Doesn’t the Bible speak of the “undying” immortal soul?
No. The undying, immortal soul is not mentioned in the Bible. Remember, we do not “have a soul” rather, we are a soul. The word “immortal” is found only once in the Bible, and it is in direct reference to God alone. (1 Timothy 1:17). At death the body returns to dust and the spirit (breath) returns to God but where does the soul go? It goes nowhere. Instead, it simply ceases to exist. Two things must be combined to make a soul: body and breath. When the breath departs, the soul ceases to exist because it is a combination of two things. When you turn off a light, where does the light go? It doesn’t go anywhere. It just ceases to exist. Two things must combine to make a light: a bulb and electricity. Without the combination, a light is impossible. So with the soul; unless body and breath are combined, there can be no soul. There is no such thing as a “disembodied soul.”
3/ Does the word “soul” ever mean anything other than a living human being?
Yes. It may mean also (1) life itself, or (2) the mind, or intellect. No matter which meaning is intended, the soul is still a combination of two things (body and breath), and it ceases to exist at death.
4/ How do we explain John 11:26 where it says “whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
This refers not to the frst death, which all people die (Hebrews 9:27),but to the second death, which only the wicked die and from which there is no resurrection (Rev 2:11 Rev 21:8).
5/ Mat 10:35 says “Do not fear those who can kill the body but the soul.” Doesnt this prove that the soul is undying?
No. It proves the opposite. The last half of the same verse proves that souls do die. It says, “Rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The word “soul” here means life and refers to eternal life, which is a gift (Romans 6:23) that will be given to the righteous at the last day ( John 6:54). No one can take away the eternal life that God bestows. (See also Luke 12:4,5.)
6/ Doesn’t 1 Pet 4:6 tell us that the gospel was preached to dead people?
No. It says the gospel “was” preached to those who “are” dead. They are dead now, but the gospel “was” preached to them while they were yet living.
The Bible says that we are to glory in nothing but the cross. (Gal 6:14,Eph 2:13) A quote I found by one Christian writer reads like this:
There is one great central truth to be kept ever before the mind in the searching of the Scriptures–Christ and Him crucified. Every other truth is invested with influence and power corresponding to its relation to this theme. It is only in the light of the cross that we can discern the exalted character of the law of God. The soul palsied by sin can be endowed with life only through the work wrought out upon the cross by the Author of our salvation {6BC 1084.8} (see also Gal 6:14)
It is not enough to just dig up the verses and say “Im right, you are wrong here. IF the need for the cross is lessened or negated by our belief, then we must change what we believe.
If we do away with the need for the resurrection, by going straight to Heaven when we die, then why would we need the crucifixion?
Believing that we go to heaven as soon as we die, believing that the dead are not really dead, eliminates the need for a resurrection. And affirms the devil’s first lie. And the last lie! How can anyone be resurrected if they are already in Heaven?
But if Christ is proclaimed, that He was raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is worthless, and your faith is also worthless. (1 Cor 15:12-14)
There are several teachings in the Christian world that do not pass the litmus test of the cross. Perhaps it is time for us to examine everything we believe in the Light of the cross?
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Cor 2:2)
Today, many are teaching that resurrection is only spiritual rather than physical. Or they may have been teaching that the Resurrection had already happened (2 Tim 2:18). Whatever the case, they contradict the essential teaching that Christ had been physically crucified, physically raised from the dead and that believers in Him will some day also be resurrected. 1 Thes 4;13-18 tells us to “comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thes 4:18) When people die, these are the only words that scripture says “comfort one another with these words.”
For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection; (Rom 6:5)