DEALING THE SPIRIT REALM COMES WITH A WARNING
What do these words have in common? Mediumship, channeling, “dwelling place of demons,” “spirits of demons,” “sorcery,” and “immortality of the soul”? Could you in some way be connected to them? (split)
We continue our study of the three angels’ messages in Revelation 14; in its context, we look at Satan’s Final Deception and how you can recognize it and avoid being a part of it.
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Let us invite God’s presence:
Holy Father, open our eyes to recognize Satan’s deceptions. Give us a clear understanding of your word. In Jesus’ Name Amen
Spiritualism is a belief system or philosophical approach that focuses on communicating with spirits or entities from the spirit realm. It encompasses the belief in the existence of spirits, the afterlife, and the possibility of communication between the living and the dead. (Split)
Spiritualists often seek to connect with spirits through practices such as mediumship, channeling, or other forms of spiritual communication. The movement gained popularity in the 19th century and has followers and practitioners today.
Revelation speaks of such practices becoming more prevalent in the end time. For instance,
Revelation 16:13-14 warns us about unclean spirits and spirits of demons performing signs
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)
Revelation 18:2 warns of Babylon, the false religious system being a dwelling place of demons.
2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! (Revelation 18:2) (Split)
And Revelation 18:23 warns us that all nations will be deceived by her sorcery.
23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. (Revelation 18:23)
Expressions such as the “dwelling place of demons,” the “spirits of demons,” and “sorcery” all indicate demonic activity.
These expressions are all related to the supernatural and spiritual realm. They all have warnings attached to them. They are mentioned in the Bible, primarily in the New Testament, and are associated with negative and occultic practices.
In the Bible, the term
“dwelling place of demons” describes locations or situations where demonic forces are present or active.
“Spirits of demons” refers to the evil spirits or entities associated with demonic forces.
And “Sorcery” typically refers to the use of supernatural or magical powers obtained through demonic influence or occult practices.
God warns his people not to get involved in them. Such practices are considered dangerous, and the Bible cautions against participating in or seeking guidance from the occult. Anyone participating in these practices is in opposition to God and his word, the Bible.
We are instead encouraged to focus on our relationship with God. We are admonished to seek guidance through prayer and the scriptures. We are advised to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is no wonder then that we have been warned that of the two great deceptions in the last days, one will be “the immortality of the soul” (Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 588).
The immortality of the soul suggests that the soul or spirit of an individual is eternal and continues to exist after the death of the physical body. It implies that the soul transcends physical death and enters a state of eternal existence, either in a spiritual realm or through reincarnation in various belief systems.
Of course, it is easy to see why so many believe this today. In fact, it is a common belief among many Christians and is even held as a doctrine in many Christian churches today.
Many Christians believe that, at death, the saved go straight to heaven when they die, and the lost go immediately down to hell. Just think about it, how often have you heard people speaking of the death of a loved one say that the person is now safe in heaven, in the loving arms of Jesus,” or that they are now in heaven singing in the heavenly choir? This is taught all the time from pulpits; in classrooms; and, especially, at funerals.
But the following scriptures say otherwise:
Kind Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:5 tells us that the dead do not know anything.
5 For 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. (Ecclesiastes 9:5)
In Job 19:25-27, Job declares that he will see God in his flesh.
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27)
Paul in I Thessalonians 4:16-17 tells us that the dead in Christ will rise first at His second coming.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)
John, in Revelation 14:13, declares that the dead are resting. (Split)
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)
One of the pillars of Babylon adopted in many religions, even many Christian religions, is the understanding of what happens when we die. Babylon teaches that the spirit lives on forever. It never dies. It is centered on the idea of the immortality of the soul. But humans or mortal only God is immortal.
Consequently, this idea borrowed from paganism prepares the way for the deceptive influence of spiritualism.
Why is knowing this important? Because this false teaching opens the door for us to accept the notion that our dead loved ones can interact with us. If we believe that we can communicate with the dead, we become vulnerable to Satan’s deceptions.
For instance, If your dead loved one who has died, such as ( a mother, a child, or a spouse) suddenly appeared and talked to you. If you did not know the truth about what happens when we die, you could be easily misled by your senses.
Satan has deceived many people this way, and He continues to do so today. And he will use this same tactic to deceive many in the future. Just as expressed in Revelation 16:13-14
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)
What, then is our only protection against such deception? Our only protection is the warnings found in the Bible. As in Revelation 18:4, which warns us to come out of Babylon.
And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. (Revelation 18:4)
Babylon is symbolic of a false religious system that has adopted the practices of ancient Babylon. God calls us to come out of this false system of religion. And we are told not to participate in its evil practices. (Split)
Another practice of Babylon is sun worship. Could you be practicing sun worship? Find out! View part 4: Babylon: The Center of Sun Worship
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