Saturday, March 13, 2010

Ghosts in the Bible & the Origin of Demons

The universe works on laws. Even with quantum mechanics and it’s subatomic peculiarities, physicists are finding that there are laws in place. In the macrocosmic world, we have the law of entropy, thermodynamics, gravity, causality, etc. Why is there not a law regarding what happens after death? If the universe works on laws, and God created the universe, then, God must have put laws in place regarding what happens to us after death. We are going to move forward with that premise and look at the biblical record of ghosts.

To start, let’s see what the Bible says about death in general…


Hebrews 9:27 Just as man is
destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

2 Samuel 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and
thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

Psalm 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes,
lest I sleep the sleep of death;

John 11:11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend
Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."


Where are the dead located?


Revelation 20:5, 12, 13 5(
The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.


The Hebrew name for the place known as Hades is Sheol. Sheol is the grave. The Bible clearly states that the greater part of humanity will sleep in the grave until resurrection for judgment.

Now, let’s look at the first possible mention of a ghost in the Bible, and see how it may have come about.


Genesis 4:8-10 8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”d And while they were in the field,
Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

New American Standard Bible
4:10 He said, "What have you done? The
voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.

King James Bible
4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the
voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And
by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.


Notice how it said that the “Voice” of your brother’s blood cried out to me from the ground. This was the first murder. The murder resulted in the spilling of Abel’s blood. Why would spilt blood have a voice?The book of Hebrews says that “by faith” Abel still speaks, though he is dead. Ordinarily I would take that to mean that his story still speaks to us today. However, since Genesis states that the voice of his blood cries out, it leads me to believe that it is to be understood in a more literal way.


Leviticus 17:11 For
the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.


Blood is used for atonement of sins. When a serious sin like murder takes place, the blood calls out for “amends or reparation” for the sin of murder. This of course, is not completely covered in the text, but it seems to be a reasonable interpretation. As we can see, murder could cause a ghost or revenant to stay behind as a marker of murder. This “shade” of a person’s lifeblood would only be a piece of the person who was killed, and would call out for reparation or judgment on the killer as most real ghosts do. The soul of the person would sleep in the grave, but this piece would remain behind as a marker.


Here is the second instance of a ghost in the Bible. It’s interesting to note the contrast between the two.


1 Samuel 28:7-15 7Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, (seek me a woman
that hath a familiar spirit, a necromancer ) so I may go and inquire of her.” “There is one in Endor,” they said. 8So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.” 9But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this.” 11Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said. 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”


Why did she cry out upon seeing Samuel?? She used a familiar spirit or possibly a demon to provide her services to people. She knew that Saul had outlawed such things, because God had commanded it. She was not expecting to call up the REAL Samuel. Her familiar would have impersonated Samuel, but this was actually the spirit of Samuel. When the actual spirit of Samuel arose from sleep in the grave, she knew it was only through the power of God that this took place, hence this must be King Saul visiting her. Notice that she had not even done anything, and Samuel’s spirit was there. Samuel died of a natural death, so there was nothing of his life left to have a voice above ground. So, only God could awaken Samuel’s spirit and have it speak to Saul.


28:13-15 13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.” 14“What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 15Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”


Note that Samuel died a natural death. Where was his spirit called from?
The ground or grave (Hades/Sheol). He stated that he was disturbed or in other words awoken. Lazarus died a natural death and was said to be asleep. Abel died from murder, and his blood cried out from where it was spilt. This would indicate that when you die a natural death, you sleep in the grave until resurrection. If you are murdered, some part of you stays behind to cry out for atonement (amends/reparation).


We’ve talked about the two instances where human spirits or “ghosts” are mentioned in the bible. There is a 3rd, but the reason why it does not fit into the category of real ghosts, is because these ones were never fully human. I am talking about the Nephilim. The half human, half angelic offspring of the Fallen Angels(watchers) spoken of in Genesis chapter 6.


Genesis 6:4 4The
Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.


The original Nephilim died in the flood, but the Fallen Angels(watchers) continued their work and procreated more as we can see in Numbers.


Numbers 13:32, 33 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and
all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak/Anakim are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.

The Philistine giant Goliath, whom David later encountered, was supposedly a descendant of the Anakim.

2 Samuel 5:22 Once more the
Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;


There is a word in the Old Testament used to refer to the tribes of Nephilim living after the flood killed off the first ones. They were called Rephaim.
Rephaim means “the dead ones” or “the walking dead”. If the Nephilim were not fully human, they may not have gone to the resting place that humans are assigned to. Instead, they may roam the Earth, looking to inhabit a body again. Why would a group of living people be called the “walking dead”? It’s possible that these ones could easily inhabit (or possess) bodies which were not entirely human, using it like a new vessel. It could be that when these hybrids come about, they are an empty shell waiting to be filled with the spirits of the dead offspring of the Fallen Angels(watchers).

According to the Bible(2 Peter 2:4) and the Book of Enoch(which is quoted in Jude1:14, 15) the fallen angels who begat the Nephilim were cast into Tartarus/Gehenna, a place of 'total darkness'. However, the Book of Jubilees also states that God allowed ten percent of the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim to remain after the flood, as demons, to try to lead the human race astray (through idolatry, the occult, etc.) until the final Judgment.

Could this be the origin of Demons? We know from Revelation (12:4) that Satan turned one third of heaven to his side during his rebellion. Even with the Fallen Angels (watchers) in the abyss awaiting judgment for procreating with humans, there would be a multitude of additional Fallen Angels(diabolicals)who did not procreate but who are here on Satan’s side. These ones would certainly be taking part in the invisible war of good versus evil, as well as leading the daily spiritual harassment of mankind in general.

The others would be the spirits of the Watcher’s offspring. Animalistic, malevolent, cruel, and ruthless, just as they were in life…. which is the reason God caused the Flood. Angels don’t need bodies, they have spirit bodies. Demons (Rephaim) need a body. They are truly disembodied spirits. Without one they feel as if they are wandering in a desert without rest. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew:


Matthew 12:43-45
When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, "I will return to the house I left." When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.


I hope I have given you something to think about. Some of this is conjecture, but I have done my best to back all of it up with scripture. If you are a Christian, the Bible is the ultimate source of truth. We would do well to heed God’s words contained within it’s pages.

6 comments:

  1. It is written in the Bible,” As in the days of Noah. So shall it be in the days of the Son of Man.”

    This means that the days that we now live in shall reflect the days of Noah. So, what was happening in the days of Noah, before the great flood?

    Fallen angels were rebelling against God by taking human wives, and learning the Sons of Men evil practices, which brought about the destruction of the world at that time.

    We know from the Bible that angels, ( good angels), can appear to us in human form, this is not some sort of great knowledge, for all true Christians can read about this in the Bible.

    And we also know that they can eat and drink, also this is no great knowledge for this is also written in the Bible.

    Many Christians can give testimony of how they have seen angels in hospitals taking on human form as orderlies, nurses and doctors.

    When you see a great crowd of people you can be absolutely sure that a percentage of them are not human.

    Now we also know that satan can disguise himself as an angel of light, so we know that it no great feat that his evil spirits can also disguise themselves as humans.

    Many believe these evil spirits disguised as humans have infiltrated the governments of this world, and brought about diabolical laws like the abortion law, and many more evil laws which are contrary to the laws of God.

    These evil infiltrating spirit beings, seek to cause wars and also the current financial crash of the world, their aim is to destroy the human race, but their plan will not succeed, though for a time they reek havoc in this world.

    For as God in His great mercy saved Noah and his sons, so through Jesus Christ our Saviour He will save every Christian, and bring every one of us into His heavenly kingdom where there will be everlasting joy and peace.

    This you can be sure of in these end times. So when these days wax worse and worse, lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh.

    thought you might like this!

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  2. If this is all true, that we just sleep until resurrection, then why did Jesus tell the theif on the cross that by the end he would be with Jesus in Paradise? Revelation pretty much states that Paradise is Heaven.
    Or what of the story of Lazuras (Spelling) and the rich man. Laz went to the bosom of Abraham (which I've always been told is Heaven. The rich man is in anguish and calls out to Abraham. So obviously neither are sleeping, because there is anguish.There is conversation. And how can we have ghosts when the rich man was not permitted to go back and warn his loved ones?

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    1. I think we agree on many parts Tony. There are a few things I should clarify:

      Before I answer your first question, I'll answer your second issue. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is just that a parable or story. Jesus used many parables(or illustrations) to teach certain truths. The people in the story are not necessarily actual people, and the events of the story did not necessarily take place. The story is used to illustrate a point. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man, long used by mainstream ministers to teach the reality of "hell," really has nothing to say about punishment or reward in the afterlife. Christ used this story, to show the fate that awaited the Jewish nation because of the unbelief and faithlessness which led them to reject him as the Messiah.

      Though the phrase "soul sleep" itself is unscriptural, the concept that the dead are "sleeping" is most Scriptural.

      "And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers..." (Deut. 31:16).

      "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou [David] shalt sleep with thy fathers. (II Sam. 7:12).

      "David slept with his fathers..." (I Ki. 2:10).

      "Solomon slept with his fathers..." I Ki. 11:43).

      Job said, "...for now shall I sleep in the dust..." (Job 7:21).

      Get this one: David said

      "...lest I sleep the sleep of DEATH..." (Psa. 13:3).

      "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [are dead]" (ICor.. 11:30).

      "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep ... the dead shall be raised..." ( I Cor. 15:51-52).

      "...the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep" (I Thes. 4:14).

      "...My daughter is even now dead ... the maid is not dead, but sleepeth." (Mat. 9:18 & 24).

      "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption." (Acts 13:36).

      " ..he said unto them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I shall go to awaken him... Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died." (John 11:11 and 11:14)

      It is said even of our own Lord:

      "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruit of them that slept" (I Cor. 15:20), etc., etc.
      Now I believe all of these Scriptures. Either Abraham is dead, buried and sleeping with his fathers, just as Moses, David, etc., or these Scriptures can’t be trusted.

      By the way, where do we read of "heaven" in this parable? There is not the slightest hint of the word heaven in this parable! Abraham’s "bosom" is no more heaven than my bosom is heaven.

      Interestingly, not only did all these patriarchs go to sleep, but they went to sleep with their fathers, and many of their fathers were idolaters!

      So there we have a dozen Scriptures stating that God likens death to sleep. In what way is being conscious and tortured in the flames of Hell analogous to "sleep?" God says death is "sleep." Now in what way is conscious torture in Hell fire analogous to "sleep?" In what way is a blissful life in Heaven analogous to "sleep?" Well, of course, it’s not analogous at all. Yet God plainly says, many times, that death is "sleep" God awakens dead people out of sleep.

      Therefore, the teaching that the dead Rich man and dead Lazarus are not asleep is wrong and unscriptural. It is only in the figurative language of a parable can it be said to be different.

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    2. Let me give you a Scripture that will "lay to rest" (pun intended) this issue once and for all. What happens after one dies:

      "If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change comes. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands." (Job 14:14-15).

      When a person dies, he must: WAIT ... FOR APPOINTED TIME ... TILL CHANGE COMES ... GOD CALLS ... WE LIVE AGAIN...

      I am sure that there is much more that can and will be learned and understood regarding this unique parable of Lazarus and the Rich man. However, whatever we teach regarding it must at least stand on solid Scriptures and not contradict. The real truth of this parable is not nearly as morbid as it may appear at first glance. God has a plan that eventually brings all the Jews and all the Gentiles to salvation. The very heart of the Gospel is the salvation of the Jews and Gentiles, the salvation of the WHOLE WORLD!
      (Taken from http://bible-truths.com/lazarus.html)

      I think that explains the subject clearly. We have to always make sure that we understand when the Lord is speaking in parable. Otherwise we may make incorrect assumptions. I would recommend reading the entire page at the above web address.

      Now back to your first question:
      “Today”
      When the criminal died, he immediately joined Jesus in His Kingdom. That day. But how does this work, exactly?

      Once again, C.S. Lewis has been a tremendous help, using his creative imagination to distinguish our concept of time and God’s concept of time.

      The question is this: When a person dies, where does he go and when does he get there? Does he enter a state called “soul sleep” until Jesus returns? Does he go to a place called purgatory, an intermediate place until he is ready to move on? Does he go instantly to heaven? And how can that be since Jesus has not come back yet and the new earth and paradise has not yet been restored?

      It helps to remember that Jesus’ concept of “today” is very different from ours. When Peter wrote about the Day of the Lord and tried to reassure Christians who were impatient to see Jesus come back, he said: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (II Peter 3:8) In other words, time is a human construct, a linear experience of seconds, minutes, hours, day, weeks, months and years. Eternity, on the other hand, is a divine experience, a constant living in the now that holds past, present and future in the same moment.

      When a Christian dies, he enters eternity and immediately arrives at that moment where Jesus is coming and paradise is restored. Like pushing through the fur coats in the wardrobe and tumbling into Narnia, the believer who dies in the Lord instantly arrives there. In the meantime, those who are left behind continue to measure their experience with clocks and calendars, constrained by the schedules and routines that we are forced to keep.

      Is this just a fantasy, a human attempt to express the inexpressible and understand a divine reality that we can never grasp? Perhaps. But there is also the Bible which says, “According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.” (II Thessalonians 4:15) In other words, like people who sleep and are oblivious to the passing of time, waking up in what seems like a second later while others put in a full shift at work, those who die in the Lord wake up instantly at the moment of Christ’s second coming to join those who happen to be still alive when he returns. In The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis captures this beautifully at the end of the story when the four children who grew into adults in Narnia tumble back out of the wardrobe only to find themselves back at the precise moment in time when their adventure first began!

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  3. It really is true that to God a thousand years is like a day. The comfort we have is that our loved ones are with the Lord today in eternity even though we are still waiting for that Day to arrive in human time. Isn’t it incredible that we may picture them in paradise right now! Time in the realm of spirit is totally different from our realm.

    Finally, as I stated in my article, there are no "actual" ghosts in the world. The spirits that people come across which are not demons or fallen angels are remnants of a tragic death(usually murders) which mark out the place calling for justice. They are not really spirits, but are more like a shade or recording of a past event.

    I hope I have answered your questions Tony.

    Roman

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  4. I would like to know how I get in touch with someone from your organization and seek out help to help with the constant attacks that occure on an everyday basis. I think that I am a victim of gang stalking and would like to know how I would go about getting them out of my life for good.

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