Introduction
In 1 Samuel 28, the story is told of King Saul as he faced a battle with the Philistines. Saul had already been rejected by God because of his unfaithfulness, but was still king. As he looked out and saw the Philistine army, Saul was afraid and sought a word from God to get assurance of victory “either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.” However, God would not speak to him. This made him even more afraid, so he looked for another person who could give him that assurance. This other person he turned to was a spirit medium.
Saul’s act to seek out knowledge through Spiritism was a total abomination. Through the events of this process God let him know that not only would he be defeated, but would also lose his life. And when the battle occurred, that is exactly what happened.
The Scriptures are very clear and direct that Spiritism is evil. Here are some of the specific places in the Bible that make this clear.
Leviticus 19:31
Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:6
As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
Leviticus 20:27
Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.'”
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.
2 Kings 21:6
He (King Manasseh) made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD provoking Him to anger.
2 Kings 23:24
Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 33:6
He (King Manasseh) made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
Isaiah 8:19
When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? (This is a rhetorical question with an expected answer of “No!”).
Isaiah 19:2-3
So I (The Lord) will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; And they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor, City against city and kingdom against kingdom. Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them; And I will confound their strategy, So that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead And to mediums and spiritists.
Spiritism has held a certain amount of prominence in various cultures throughout the world, and throughout man’s time on earth. It is an animistic belief system that attempts to break through the veil between the temporal world and eternity. Scripture has revealed that it is a false belief system that doesn’t reflect the true nature of reality and is adversarial to God.
History
The roots of Spiritism can be found as far back as recorded history itself. No doubt it occurred well before then, as well. The Bible itself speaks of these practices as noted in the Scripture passages above. While there are many references to the practice of Spiritism in literature throughout history, there is very little about how to actually practice it. That is because, as with virtually all animistic belief systems, the beliefs are not elements of a religious system that is practiced by the masses, but is rather something practiced by religious professionals for the masses. There is generally no religious text by which to express Spiritist beliefs; they are passed on orally from generation to generation.
Spiritism is found in many primitive cultures that believe animate and inanimate objects are possessed by spirits (good or evil) that must be appeased through occult practices. More generally, the term can refer to any alleged contact with spirits through occult techniques.
In its essence, Spiritism teaches that when people die, they migrate to the spirit world. This spirit world is an entirely separate place (or dimension) from the physical world, but those who accept this belief system believe it is possible for the spirit world and the physical world to interact.
One of the ways this can happen is for specially gifted persons, called a spirit mediums, to bridge the gap. In this way, hidden information can be acquired from those contacted. In Spiritism, the dead are temporarily invited inside the body of a Spiritist medium, or channeler, to speak through the vocal cords (or other parts) of the host and give special messages from beyond the grave.
While Spiritism obviously existed in Bible times and the people of Israel were exposed to it, the Bible is very clear that attempts to contact the dead are wrong. As we saw above, seeking advice from mediums, necromancers, and fortune-tellers is strictly forbidden in Scripture.
Authority
There is no external source of authority for Spiritism. There are only mediums who claim to have the special ability to bridge the gap between the material and spirit worlds.
Evidence for the Authority
The evidence that Spiritists rely on to validate their belief is simply their own experience. It doesn’t matter to them whether or not it can be backed up, or that others may have different experiences. People who believe in this understanding of reality do not have any rational basis for their belief, or any objective evidence that their understanding of reality is correct.
Worldview Beliefs
God
In Spiritism, there is no all powerful, creator God. As practitioners of an animistic belief system, Spiritists believe that humans simply move on to the next life after physical death and become a type of spirit or god.
Man
Humanity, in Spiritism, is understood to be the physical expression of a spiritual life force that is eternal.
Salvation
In Spiritism, there is no need for salvation since an individual’s life force simply passes into the next cycle of life after physical death.
Other Beliefs and Practices
Basic Beliefs
The basic belief system of Spiritism can be summed up in five position statements. Spiritists believe:
1. In life after death.
2. In the possibility of contacting the spirits of the dead.
3. That it is their duty to spread this “good news” to mankind.
4. In the divinity of humanity.
5. That there is no heaven or hell. The dead are simply transported to a new existence.
Spiritist Methodologies Noted in the Bible
Divination
Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown using supernatural means.
Sorcery/Witchcraft (Also referred to as casting spells)
Sorcery is the use of magic, especially black magic by using spells and by invoking spirits.
Omen Interpretation
Interpreting Omens is a practice whereby an individual interprets the meaning of some kind of sign or event that is considered to forecast a future event.
Spiritism/Channeling/Necromancy
Spiritism is the practice whereby an individual acts as a channel of communication (a medium) between this world and the spirit world.
© 2018 Freddy Davis