THE DEAD TALKING TO THE LIVING: THE BIGGEST HOAKS EVER! OR IS IT?
Can the dead talk with the living? You may have heard it or even experienced it.
Many have claimed that they have talked directly with a dead loved one.
But did they? If not, then who did they talk to?
“Welcome back! I promised you this would be an epic journey through the unseen.
And this episode will be an eye-opener and a turning point for many.
This is the 10th part of a 13-part series that is very different from the traditional ideas about the world around us.
There are things and entities around us that we cannot see, hear, or even imagine.
We are in a war between the forces of good and evil.
It is a war for our souls. It is designed to strip us of our knowledge of God, his Word, and our relationship with him.
We have been looking at this cosmic battle, exploring the origins of sin, the nature of evil, its history, and what will lead to the ultimate showdown between Christ and Satan.
This series is about understanding the forces at play and our place within this universal struggle.
Every episode, every moment of this journey matters because, like it or not, this is a war that touches all of us.
It is about a God who loves us so much that He is willing to give His life to maintain a relationship with us.
Many are concerned about what happens when we die. Can the dead still interact with the living? This is an interesting question that we seek to answer directly from the scriptures.
Warning: your view of the universe, life, and our place within it is about to change forever.
But before we discuss this conflict, let’s, as we always do, take a moment to invite God’s presence.
And, if you have not viewed the previous videos, go back and view them at SabbathSchoolDaily.com
Inviting God’s Presence.
Heavenly Father, as we examine the dimension beyond what we cannot see, we invite your Holy Presence through the power of your Holy Spirit so that our minds will be open to receive what you have for us. In Jesus Name, Amen.
The Great Controversy
The War Between Good and Evil
(Lesson 10)
Spiritualism Exposed
Part 1 Introduction
Imagine a moment so powerful it changes everything you know about life and death.
We are looking into a Bible prophecy that offers hope and assurance.
It promises a grand reunion with Christ, the righteous dead, the righteous living, and the entire heavenly host.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 paint a vivid picture of this reunion of God with His people:
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. (Split)
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. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NKJV).
This passage promises not just resurrection but eternal life with the Lord and our loved ones who died in Christ.
It’s a sharp contrast from some of the beliefs that have surfaced over the past decades.
Consider the near-death experiences (NDEs), where individuals were declared clinically dead and when revived gave incredible accounts of what they had seen and heard while “dead.”
Based on these accounts, millions today believe these experiences are evidence that the dead do not really die.
They are of the assumption that life persists beyond physical death.
This has spun the foundational belief of spiritualism, which is the belief that after a person dies, they can continue to communicate and interact with the living and even angelic beings, passing on information to guide the living.
However, spiritualism is one of Satan’s most widespread and effective deceptions.
Satan uses this deception to induce the belief that the dead can interact with the living, He use it especially toward those who have laid their loved ones in the grave.
Spiritual beings have sometimes appeared to individuals in the form of their deceased loved ones and related incidents connected with their lives, performing acts that they performed while living.
In this way, they have led humans to believe that their loved ones are angels, hovering over them and communicating with them. (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 684, adapted)
However, this view aligns with one of the earliest deceptions in human history.
It goes back to the Garden of Eden with the serpent’s lie to Eve. When he said to Eve, as recorded in Genesis 3:4,
“You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4).
This was the onset of the seed of enduring falsehood. This deceitful notion lies at the root of the 1800s religious movements of the Fox sisters, who falsely claimed to communicate with the dead.
They maintained that they could receive answers to their questions from the spirits of the dead.
Which they later admitted was a hoax. But was it?
Nevertheless, in a world filled with misinformation and spiritual deceptions, the Bible remains our steadfast source of guidance and truth. (Split)
Want to know God’s will?
Pray in faith and consult the scriptures.
Our aim here is to show that our only safeguard against Satan’s deception and delusion is a personal relationship with Christ and being fully grounded in the teachings of the Bible.
This includes having a clear understanding of what it says happens when we die.
It demands that we stand on God’s word regardless of what our eyes, ears, and minds might attempt to tell us.
Remember that despite what we see and hear, regardless of the noise and the narratives of others, truth and hope lie in the eternal and unchanging word of God.
Many people dabble in the unknown, and it has become common practice today.
It can be comforting for the bereaved and can take the suspense out of the future.
So, if they can help guide us, what is the problem with communicating with our deceased loved ones, or can they?
Continue to Part 2: The Deadly Consequences of Spiritualism
The Great Controversy
The War Between Good and Evil
(Lesson 10)
Spiritualism Exposed (Can the Dead Talk to Us)
Part 2: The Deadly Consequences of Spiritualism
In a world where mysteries about life and death captivate our imagination, it’s crucial to know the truth versus a hoax.
Many hold the belief that death is merely the beginning of a new existence, where the spirit continues independently of the body, entering into a new stage of life.
This concept, however, is not grounded in biblical truth but in ancient Roman religious teachings that maintained the idea of the natural immortality of the soul.
The pagan idea was integrated into the church early on.
It can be traced back to the Roman government.
It infiltrated the church as it moved away from its biblical foundations in an attempt to make its faith more understandable and more appealing to its Roman citizens.
To bridge religious beliefs, they adopted the Roman notion of the immortal spirit, falsely blending it into Christian doctrine.
Ellen G. White addresses this in The Great Controversy, stating, “The theory of the immortality of the soul was one of those false doctrines that Rome, borrowing from paganism, incorporated into the religion of Christendom.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 549.
This incorporation utterly goes against what Jesus Himself taught.
In Matthew 10:28, He said, “ ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell’ ” (Matt. 10:28, NKJV).
This passage challenges the idea that we humans inherently possess immortality.
For immortality of the righteous does not occur according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 until Jesus returns and death is swallowed up in victory.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)
Moreover, the Bible contains stern warnings against occultism of any kind. What is occultism?
It involves or is related to interacting with the spirit world through mystical or magical powers such as numerology, astrology, voodoo, seances, incantations, witchcraft, and other forms of mysticism or spiritual practice contrary to the scriptures.
The Lord in Deuteronomy 18:11 forbade His people from being involved in occultism of any kind.
They were not to tolerate among them “a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead”
The severe consequences for such actions were dire.
They included stoning of those who involved themselves in such practices as stated in Leviticus 20:27,
27 ‘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. Their blood shall be upon them.’ ” (Leviticus 20:27)
Although this punishment might seem harsh, it underscores the dangers of diverting from divine instruction, which not only misguides but also enslaves. Moreover, it was designed to protect Israel from worshipping false gods.
Witchcraft and the like are demonic. They are instruments of Satan.
They are designed to seduce us humans into false worship and to counterfeit a genuine relationship with God.
It is designed to give us a false belief that we are in a relationship with God when, in fact, these things cannot satisfy the deepest needs of the heart, a loving, trusting relationship with Him.
Spiritualism is at the heart of Satan’s plan to take the world captive.
But Jesus, by His grace and power, sets captives free from the chains of evil that bind them.
Read Ecclesiastes 9:5; Job 7:7–9; and Isaiah 8:19, 20.
They consistently remind us that death marks the end of earthly consciousness and interaction, not a continuation.
God’s word is our shield against deception.
It is our guide through the fog of spiritism, mysticism, and occultism.
Thus, in seeking truth anchored in His word, we obtain secure protection against the snares of Satan’s deception, now and in the future.
How did the ancient people of Israel view death? Read Psalm 6:5, Psalm 115:17, 1 Kings 2:10, 1 Kings 11:43, and 1 Kings 14:20.
Then view the next segment of this video, Part 3: Death in the Old Testament
The Great Controversy
The War Between Good and Evil
(Lesson 10)
Spiritualism Exposed (Can the Dead Talk to Us)
Part 3: Death in the Old Testament
Death is a subject cloaked in mystery but clearly addressed in the Scriptures.
Let’s, with a genuine open mind, look at what the Bible teaches about the nature of death.
You might find that it challenges some common misconceptions about what happens when we die.
The Bible frequently uses sleep as a metaphor for death, providing a peaceful and clear depiction of what happens after life ceases.
Various scriptures illustrate this concept with clarity.
For instance, in the Old Testament, ancient Israel described their Kings’ passing as sleep, as in 1 Kings 2:10.
When King David passed away, it says that he slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David (KJV).
1 Kings 11:43 talks of King Solomon’s death saying:
43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 11:43)
The same was said of King Jeroboam in 1 Kings 14:20
20 And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead. (1 Kings 14:20)
These phrases are not just poetic but informative, emphasizing death as a state of rest, not activity.
Similarly, the Psalms offer this same perspective on death.
Psalm 6:5 and Psalm 115:17 discuss the silence of the grave, where no praise of God occurs, reinforcing the idea that death is a cessation of life’s functions.
Psalm 6:5 says:
5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? (Psalm 6:5)
And Psalm 115:17 says
17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. (Psalm 115:17)
Thus, the Old Testament does not teach that the soul is immortal.
It does not teach that the righteous, after death, receive their wings and fly off to be in paradise in their heavenly home for eternity.
Nor does it speak of the unfaithful descending to hell, where they burn for eternity.
It instead teaches that death is a sleep.
The Book of Kings uses the expression “they rested [slept] with their fathers” to describe the death of the patriarchs, the fathers.
The Psalms call it the “sleep of death” as in Psalm 13:3
3Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; (Psalm 13:3)
And Psalm 90:5
5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. (Psalm 90:5) (Split)
This same description of death is echoed by Job, who in Job 14:12 describes death as a sleep from which no one awakens until the heavens are no more.
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. (Job 14:12)
What a powerful image of what happens when we die. Death is a peaceful rest for all the righteous and the wicked until Christ returns to this earth.
The palmist adds this wonderful assurance in Psalm 17:15
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” (Psalms. 17:15, NKJV).
How we awake from the sleep of death is determined by how we live our lives now.
Like the psalmist, my goal is to awaken in Christlikeness.
The psalmist in the Book of Psalms and historical accounts agree on this same truth:
Death is a state of unconscious sleep.
This imagery extends even to the dramatic depiction of the Assyrian army’s defeat, referred to as their “dead sleep” in Psalm 76:6, symbolizing the ultimate end with no return to earthly consciousness.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. (Psalm 76:6)
Why is it important to understand what happens when we die?
If we do not understand the truth about death.
It leaves us open to more of Satan’s evil deceptions.
Notice what the book The Great Controversy says about Satan’s end-time deceptions.
“Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies. These visitors will appeal to our tenderest sympathies and will work miracles to sustain their pretensions. We must be prepared to withstand them with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything and that they who thus appear are the spirits of devils.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 560.
As we reflect on these insights, it becomes clear that the idea of souls wandering in the heavens or enduring eternal torment as soon as they depart this life is not supported by Scripture. Instead, the Bible consistently teaches that death is a restful sleep, awaiting the resurrection at Jesus’ Second Coming.
As expressed in Daniel 12:2 and Job 19:25-26
Daniel 12:2
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)
Job 19:25-26
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: (Job 19:25-26)
This understanding shields us from deceptive teachings and prepares us to reject the false appearances of spirits, which, as warned in The Great Controversy.
Armed with the truth, we can stand firm against these delusions, anchored by our faith in what the Scriptures teach about death.
We have seen what it says about death in the Old Testament, but what does it say about death in the New Testament?
Continue to the next Segment of this video, Part 4: Death in the New Testament
The idea of death as “sleep” is a powerful image.
It is used consistently throughout the Bible to help us understand what death is.
This imagery appears at least 53 times in the Bible.
It helps us understand that death is not a continuation of life in another form but a state of inactivity.
The dead remain in a state of unconscious existence, awaiting the resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming.
Thus, the Bible writers agree that there is no conscious existence after death.
It does not speak of an immortal soul leaving the body immediately after death.
In the New Testament, particularly in John 11:11-14 and 21-25, Jesus clearly expresses this when he speaks of Lazarus’s death.
He tells his disciples outright, saying in John 11:11, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”( John 11:11) (Split)
Other scriptures in the New Testament indicating what happens at death are: 2 Timothy 1:10, 1 Corinthians 15:51–54, and 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17.
This Bible truth underscores that death is a temporary state, like sleep, from which one can be awakened, as in the case of Lazarus when Jesus called him to come forth.
But not waken just by anyone, for in death, one can only be awakened by Divine Power.
Moreover, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 vividly describe the transformation and resurrection that will occur at Jesus Second Coming.
This echoes the hope laid out in the Old Testament and expands on it by providing a clear timeline and process for this divine awakening.
The Gospels affirm that Jesus, through his death at the cross and resurrection, has conquered death itself.
No demonic force in hell can keep the people of God from obtaining their promise of eternal life.
The grave no longer holds power over its victims.
Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee that all believers will be resurrected from the grave at His return.
Jesus’ victory over death at his resurrection is a promise to all who follow Him that they will rise from the dead to live eternally at his second coming.
This is the argument that Paul presents in 1 Corinthians 15:16-18, when he says:
16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (1 Corinthians 15:16-18)
However, because Christ has risen, we have a trustworthy promise of our resurrection.
The New Testament writers do not just repeat Old Testament themes about what happens at death but expand them with vivid details of Christ’s victory over death.
They looked forward with hope and assurance to the Second Coming, when all believers will be resurrected.
But, their belief was not a passive waiting but a source of tremendous faith, courage, and strength.
Just as Peter reassures us in 1 Peter 1:4, the blessings awaiting us are imperishable. Thus, we look
4 “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us, (1 Peter 1:4)
Therefore, the New Testament believers eagerly looked forward to the coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.
Before the coming of Christ, however, Satan will use all kinds of lying wonders in an attempt to deceive many.
What kind of deception will people face:
Read Matthew 24:5, 11, 24; 2 Thessalonians 2:7–9; Revelation 13:13, 14; and Revelation 16:13, 14
Then view the next segment of this video: Part 5: Spiritualism in the Last Days
The Great Controversy
(Lesson 10)
Spiritualism Exposed (Can the Dead Talk to Us?)
Part 5: Spiritualism in the Last Days: Part 1
As we approach the culmination of Earth’s history, understanding Satan’s deceptions becomes crucial for maintaining our faith.
To help us, we fortify our defenses through the power of Scripture, exploring the sophisticated tactics and lying wonders that Satan will use in the end times.
The Bible warns us explicitly about the devil’s strategies in the final days, just before Christ Coming.
According to scriptures such as Matthew 24:5, 11, 24, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-9, and Revelation 13:13-14, Satan will employ miraculous signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
These miracles, though breathtaking, are not rooted in divine power but are the workings of demons.
His Aim is at deceiving and leading many away from the truth of the scriptures.
Commenting on the deceptive power of demonic spirits, Ángel Rodríguez makes this telling statement:
“Their power of persuasion is to be found not in the content of their message but in the power of supernatural manifestations called ‘signs’ or ‘miracles.’ They perform/do (poieō) signs, thus appealing to the affective side of human beings rather than to their discretionary and rational abilities. (Splipt)
The fact that these signs are performed by demons shows that the unifying force of the message of the three demons [dragon, beast, and false prophet] is spiritualistic in nature—God is not their source or origin. As the cosmic conflict approaches its closure, demonic power will enter the arena of human history in an unprecedented way. Spiritualism, whose very foundation is the non-biblical teaching of the immortality of the soul, will nearly take the world captive.”—“The Closing of the Cosmic Conflict: Role of the Three Angels’ Messages,” unpublished manuscript, p. 6., (Split)
He highlights that the success of these deceptions will not stem from convincing thoughts or doctrines but through emotional manipulation via signs and wonders.
These miraculous acts will sway the hearts of many, bypassing rational thought and critical examination of the Scriptures.
As noted in Revelation 16:13-14, demonic spirits performing miracles will gather the world’s leaders, furthering Satan’s deceptive influence on a global scale.
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)
This brings us to a critical question: Should we trust our feelings alone to discern the truth?
No, Feelings can be easily manipulated, and as noted in The Great Controversy, “Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. . . . Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time. . . . Except those who are kept by the power of God, through faith in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion.
The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.”— The Great Controversy, pp. 561, 562.
In these challenging times, our feelings cannot be our sole guide. They must be balanced with the solid foundation of Scripture.
Satan aims to elevate our emotions over the Word of God, pushing us towards impulsivity and error.
But by steadfastly adhering to the teachings of Jesus and the Bible, we shield ourselves from these end-time deceptions.
It is for this reason that it’s not hard to see how millions, even billions, who do not understand what happens at death could be captured by Satan’s delusions when they believe that the dead are able to communicate with the living.
Therefore, knowing what the scripture says about the dead is not just our defense but our greatest weapon in these final days of Earth’s history.
What warning does the Bible give to help us avoid Satan’s deceptions? Read: Matthew 24:23–27; 2 Corinthians 11:13, 14; and 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12
Then Continue to the next segment of this video, Part 6: Spiritualism in the Last Days: Part 2
The Great Controversy
(Lesson 10)
Spiritualism Exposed (Can the Dead Talk to Us?)
Part 6: Spiritualism in the Last Days: Part 2
In a world filled with uncertainty and strife, the promise of Jesus Christ’s return offers an unparalleled ray of hope. Thus, we look at the nature of this hope and the challenges we will face from deceptive forces, particularly as we approach the climax of Earth’s history.
Jesus Christ, through His sacrifice on the cross, has opened the path to salvation, inviting us all to accept His Amazing Grace.
His profound act of love and the promise of His Second Coming is the root of our “blessed hope” described in Titus 2:13.
However, this hope does not come without its challenges.
Satan is determined to undermine our faith.
His goal is to destroy our hope in the Second Coming of Jesus, employing signs and wonders designed to lead us away from the truth of the Scriptures and Salvation in Jesus Christ.
As Revelation 14:12 reminds us, endurance is crucial.
“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12, NKJV).
In other words, the people of God keep the commandments of God and have the faith that Jesus demonstrated throughout His earthly ministry.
This dual commitment—to the laws of God and the faith of Jesus is essential as we navigate the deception of Satan that flourishes in the end times.(Split)
This means that we need to be careful of any teachings, even if they contain signs, wonders, and miracles, which could turn us away from either of these two qualities that God expects to persist in His end-time people.
The Scriptures warn us extensively about the nature of these deceptions.
For instance, Matthew 24:23–27, 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, and 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 all paint a clear picture of Satan’s deceptive power and how he will manipulate spiritual experiences and even perform healings to mislead people into false worship and doctrines that contradict Biblical truth.
It says in the Great Controversy that “Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
It further illuminates these tactics, predicting that Satan’s ultimate deception will be an imitation of Christ’s Second Coming.
“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes.
Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13–15.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 624 (emphasis supplied).
In other words, He will appear in a form resembling the descriptions found in Revelation, performing wonders and claiming divine authority with the deceitful intent of leading all humanity to worship him.
Thus, let us hold fast to the truth of the Bible and the real hope it offers while carefully examining every teaching and every miracle against the unchanging word of God.
In these challenging times, our best defense is a deep, personal connection with Jesus and a firm understanding of His teachings.
By anchoring ourselves in this truth, we can withstand the coming deceptions and look with confidence to the day when Christ Himself will return, not as an imposter or illusion, but in His full glory and undeniable majesty.
Let this hope sustain us, guide us, and lead us through whatever trials we may face in the coming crisis.
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