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Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?


HALLOWEEN IS A PAGAN HOLIDAY TO HONOR THE DEAD AND EVIL SPIRITS.
All Saints' Day was followed by All-Souls' Day, November 2, unless that was a Sunday then it was November 3, this was another Catholic adaptation of pagan festivals for the dead. Prayers for the dead are an integral part of the traditional All Saint's Day services, which are scheduled in Catholic churches on November 1, and on the next Sunday. Halloween gets its name from the Catholic holiday, it is a hallowed evening, because it precedes All Hallows' Day, thus: HalloweenWe are warned not to take part in customs and traditions like this in the Scripture.

Please click here for an informative Bible study about the true condition of man in death.

Deuteronomy 12:30-31 – Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 

Halloween is a perfect example of what this passage is referring to. Pagans served their gods by honoring the evil spirits on Halloween. They did this by dressing up like the evil spirits and giving offerings to the evil spirits. This is why candy is given out on Halloween, as offerings for the evil spirits. The phrase trick or treat was attributed to this practice because pagans believed the evil spirits would do something bad (trick) to them if they did not leave an offering (treat) for them. I WOULD RATHER HONOR THE MOST HIGH.

Modern celebrations of Halloween may appear on the surface to be quite harmless, but the spiritual implications of dabbling with the spirit world are extremely serious.

What must an unfamiliar observer think of Halloween? Parents dress their children as monsters, vampires, devils, witches and ghosts and encourage them to approach total strangers to ask them for candy and other treats. Homeowners decorate their houses with images of black cats, ghosts, goblins and carved pumpkins and sometimes transform their yards into make-believe graveyards. Adults dress in similar strange and outlandish costumes and go to parties in rooms decorated like dungeons or crypts.

Why are such bizarre practices so popular?

Why would anyone celebrate a holiday emphasizing the morbid and macabre?

Where did such strange customs originate?

As with Christmas and Easter, we can trace the roots of Halloween far back into the pagan past. The Encyclopedia of Religion says, “Halloween, or Allhallows Eve, is a festival celebrated on 31 October, the evening prior to the Christian Feast of All Saints (All Saints’ Day). Halloween is the name for the eve of Samhain [pronounced sow-en ], a celebration marking the beginning of winter as well as the first day of the New Year within the ancient Celtic culture of the British Isles. The time of Samhain consisted of the eve of the feast and the day itself (31 October and 1 November)” (1987, p. 176, “Halloween”).

Besides Halloween, the Celts observed many other holidays including the winter solstice (later transformed into Christmas), spring fertility rites (reborn later as Easter) and May Day as a harvest festival.

Concerning Halloween, The Encyclopedia of Religion continues: On this occasion, it was believed that a gathering of supernatural forces occurred as during no other period of the year. The eve and day of Samhain were characterized as a time when the barriers between the human and supernatural worlds were broken. Otherworldly entities, such as the souls of the dead, were able to visit earthly inhabitants, and humans could take the opportunity to penetrate the domains of the gods and supernatural creatures.

“Fiery tributes and sacrifices of animals, crops, and possibly human beings were made to appease supernatural powers who controlled the fertility of the land…Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during the period” (pp. 176-177).

On this holiday huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spiritsThe souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and deathIt was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. 4, p. 862, “Halloween”).

ANCIENT PRACTICES CONTINUED TODAY
As with Christmas and Easter, church leaders adopted this ancient celebration to serve their own purposes. “Samhain remained a popular festival among the Celtic people throughout the Christianization of Great Britain. The British church attempted to divert this interest in pagan customs by adding a Christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as Samhain. The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, commemorates the known and unknown saints of the Christian religion just as Samhain had acknowledged and paid tribute to the Celtic deities (gods)” (The Encyclopedia of Religion, p. 177, “Halloween”).

Several ancient Halloween practices still exist in modern observances. Bobbing for apples was originally a form of divination (fortune telling) to learn of future marriages. The first person to bite an apple was predicted to be the first to marry in the coming year…The Jack-O-Lantern…represented a watchman on Halloween night or a man caught between earth and the supernatural world (Jack Santino, All Around the Year: Holidays & Celebrations in American Life, 1994, p. 26).

THE BIBLE CONDEMNS THE OCCULT
Although some may dismiss the demonic symbolism and divination associated with Halloween as harmless fun, the Bible reveals the existence of evil spirits, led by Satan the devil, whom God holds responsible for great suffering and sorrow inflicted on the human race. Revelation 12:9 speaks of “the great dragon … that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan … [who] deceives the whole world …”

The name given him in the Bible, Satan, means adversary or enemy. The apostle John tells us that “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). Satan and the other fallen angels (demons) constantly try to keep humanity spiritually blinded, turning them aside from their awesome destiny as part of the family of God.

As a loving Father, God commands us to avoid things that can harm us. Concerning the spirit world, notice what God says to His people: Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:31).

In addition to this command to avoid practices that pertain to evil spirits, God warned ancient Israel to avoid any kind of occult practices: “There shall not be found among you anyone who…practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

GOD HAS CALLED HIS PEOPLE TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD. Instead of superstitions and myths, God tells us to look to Him for our blessings, direction and future.

Modern celebrations of Halloween may appear on the surface to be quite harmless, but the spiritual implications of dabbling with the spirit world are extremely serious. Fortune-telling, Ouija boards, Astrology, Voodoo, Clairvoyance, Black Magic and the like can all be related to occult, satanic forces or the worship of natural phenomena and are forbidden in Scripture.
Jesus Christ tells us that “the first and greatest commandment” is to love our Creator “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37-38). God alone is the giver of life and all good things. To give recognition to false gods, and to imitate practices that honored them, is unacceptable and idolatrous.

A LIST OF THE TOP 10 REASONS I SEPARATED FROM HALLOWEEN
1. HALLOWEEN GLORIFIES EVIL, NOT GOD
It’s no secret that Halloween is all about witches and ghosts and fear and death. Haunted houses, Hollywood movies, even neighborhood patios are graced with blood and dead bodies and axe murderers…giant replicas of poisonous spiders and cobwebs…scary organ music, skeletons, and gravestones. Can anyone deny that this holiday glorifies Satan and every evil thing?

“Oh, but our family only dresses in good costumes,” we are quick to point out, as if somehow sugarcoating the evil with smiling pumpkins and sparkly Disney princess costumes somehow changes the meaning of the celebration.

I too continued to dress up for several years, but no matter what creative spin I put on it, eventually I could no longer justify that anything I was doing in respect to this holiday was honoring to God. Sure, my costumes were cute. Sometimes they were even sophisticated, clever, funny, or smart. But none of those things changed the fact that the holiday itself glorified evil, and I could no longer lend my talents and attention to remain part of it.

Most of us know that Halloween is one of the highest, most holy days for witches and Satanists. Even though we ourselves may not be involved in the practice of witchcraft, we give credence to the holiday by celebrating it. If we abhor evil, should we not also abhor any day designated to celebrate it? The Bible says to avoid even the appearance of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22  “Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

It also doesn’t take a rocket scientist to discern that the Halloween is all about fear. Scary costumes, haunted houses, and horror movies are designed for no other purpose than to frighten us. Seeking out opportunities to be scared is, on this day at least, the highest form of entertainment. If we do not have a spirit of fear, should we even acknowledge a day whose purpose is to invoke a spirit of fear in us?

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, and of power, and of a sound mind.”  2 Timothy 1:7 

2. IF THE SEED IS BAD, THE FRUIT WILL BE BAD
Halloween has never been a Christian holiday. The foundations of Halloween are occultic, and the symbols and traditions we continue today all have roots in pagan practices. God tells His people over and over again to avoid all pagan rituals and traditions.

Halloween derives in part from the occult traditions of the Druids, the pagan priests of the Celts, whose fall festival was the precursor to Halloween as we know it. “To ancient Druids, the end of October commemorated the festival of the waning year, when the sun began his downward course and ripened grain was garnered from the fields. Samhain…was celebrated with human sacrifice, augury and prayers; for at this season spirits walked, and evil had power over souls of men.”

When the first Christians came to America, they knew of Halloween’s occult beginnings and banned its celebration.

“Because of Christianity among so many of the settlers, Halloween celebrations were not celebrated until the 1800’s when several immigrants from Ireland and Scotland introduced their Halloween customs. They brought various beliefs about ghosts and witches with them. Other groups added their own cultural influences to Halloween customs. German immigrants brought a vivid witchcraft lore, and Haitian and African peoples brought their native voodoo beliefs about black cats, fire, and witchcraft.”

Today, we have become so accustomed to the traditions of men that we refuse to question them. Even Christian families have been honoring this holiday for generations. But doing so ignores the fact that this festival in no way honors God, and in fact celebrates the very practices God abhors:

Deuteronomy 18:9-11 – “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer [pharmakeia], or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.” 

Putting a Christian label over the top of a pagan practice does not make it pleasing to God. In fact, we are to get rid of all pagan practices and have no part of them:

Deuteronomy 12:1-4 — “These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things.” 

God doesn't want us to keep the ways of the world and sprinkle Christianity on top. He wants us to elevate Him alone: His ways, His philosophies, His deliverance, His celebrations. Any other practice is sin and eventually bears bad fruit.

3. DON’T DINE WITH DEMONS
Samhain was the one day of the year when the dead were allowed to come back into the world and commune with the living. People traditionally set a spot for the dead at their table, inviting them in. Since there was also the possibility that evil spirits would come looking for them, people took to “guising” themselves for protection. In other words, it’s okay to dine with demons — as long as you wear a costume to protect yourself.

1 Corinthians 10:21 — You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” 

So are we really supping with demons? Sharing food with someone represents a sacred connection. Adam and Eve first ate with God in the garden, but then chose to share an apple without God in the presence of Satan. Jesus spent much of his time on earth dining with sinners, because that is who He came to save. The last thing Jesus did before He was crucified was to share a meal with His disciples, and He commands us to continue remembering Him in that way until He comes again. When we see Him in heaven, it will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

Revelation 3:20 — “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” 

Satan is the world’s greatest counterfeiter, so he tempts us to sit at his table and join his feast (festival, festivity) by making it as attractive as he can. He knows we won’t say no if his festival looks like pure evil, so he’s let us create our own G-rated version that we aren’t as likely to resist.

But God says in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16— “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? … And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.” 

4. HALLOWEEN IS AN EXCUSE TO FLAUNT SEXUALITY
It’s true. Halloween is becoming more risqué every year. In fact, sometimes I think its real name is “Dress Like a Porn Star” Day. Girls dress more provocatively, and at much younger ages, on this day than any other. There seems to be an unwritten competition to have the raciest costume. For those passing on ghoul or gore, the only other worthy goals seem to be shock and immodesty.

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:3-8

 I can vouch from personal experience that when we put on a costume, we often detach ourselves, sometimes ever so slightly, from our inhibitions. After all, it is much easier to act a tad bit naughty when our real identity is hidden. It’s almost as if bad behavior is somehow excused when we are in costume — and it’s much easier to explain in the morning: “I wasn’t actually sinning; I was just staying in character.”

Even though we are not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, we prefer to emulate them and parade them on our Facebook pages as if they are somehow deserving of honor.

Ephesians 5:11-12 —  “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.” 

5. WE PLAY HOW WE PRACTICE
This is one of my husband’s favorite sayings. He is usually referring to table manners with our sons: If you use a knife and fork correctly at the kitchen table, then you won’t have any problems when it counts — when you’re at a nice restaurant with your employer or meeting your future wife’s parents for the first time. How we practice spills over into real life.

The same applies to Halloween. We think we can entertain the macabre, erect gravestones in our front yards, and prop dead “bodies” on our front porches. “Oh, but they’re not real,” we demur. Then we are appalled when a 17-year-old has a fascination with dead bodies and decides to act on his morbid desires.

Do we really have any right to be shocked or even surprised when some among us decide to act out in real life the fascination with evil we insist on holding dear? We can't have it both ways: if we choose to be entertained by evil, we should be prepared for the time when it becomes reality.

Ephesians 6:12  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this work, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  

Let us not drop our guard for a moment, or even camp out one night a year “for fun” on the side of the enemy.

6. ARE WE CAUSING OTHERS TO STUMBLE?
Even if we don’t believe it’s dangerous to dabble in the ancient pagan practices of Druid priests, have we given any thought to the impact our actions might have on others?

The Bible tells us just how important it is that we not lead His children astray (Matthew 18:6) or cause them to stumble (Mark 9:42). If we present witchcraft, promiscuity, and the occult in a fun and seductive manner now, are we opening the door to involvement in those practices in the future?

Will our children learn values we want them to learn by participating in this “holy day,” or would they learn better values, perhaps even courage, from seeing us stand up against evil even when our culture says it’s fine? It probably goes without saying, but what values are we impressing on our children when we send them trick-or-treating? Is the lie “give me your candy or I’ll play a trick” really becoming of anyone?

If we forego Halloween but give our children a substitute celebration instead, are we sending the message that “I am trying to compensate because I think you’re missing out on something really amazing”? I want my children to believe what I myself believe: that we have been given something so much better than this! No more bobbing for apples in the church basement (a pagan fertility ritual, by the way) when I have true joy in knowing God’s true Son!

7. BE FAITHFUL IN THE SMALL THINGS
For many Christians, the thought of whether to celebrate Halloween is a small issue, maybe even a non-issue. After all, it’s only one day a year. And what harm is there really in a handful of Snickers miniatures and a pillowy pumpkin costume?

Let me answer that this way:

First, our character, integrity, and devotion to God is evident in the small things. If we can't be faithful in the small things, how will our hearts be faithful in the big things?

He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much.” —Luke 16:10
So, yes, even something as seemingly small as how we handle Halloween is important.

Second, God has told us to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, noble, right, lovely, and admirable (Philippians 4:8). Is Halloween any of these thingsNO, and therefore it is unworthy of any of our time or thoughts.

Third, “the Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. —1 John 3:8

If God came for the purpose of destroying the works of Satan, why do we then try remember, imitate, and even elevate those very things?

How do we expect we will be able to keep ourselves faithful when the big temptations come alone when we can't even say no to glorifying evil in what we do for fun?

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” —James 1:27

Our acceptance with God is conditional on our obedience to His instructions:
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”  2 Corinthians 6:16-18

But we've joined forces with the world. In fact, instead of keeping ourselves unspotted and separate from the world, we have become one giant spot with it — we are so much alike no one can tell where the world ends and the Church begins.  This is spiritual Babylon of Revelation 18:2-5.

We need to start keeping ourselves pure in the small things, so that we will be able to stay pure and undefiled in the big things.

8. GOD WANTS TO BLESS US — BUT NOT IN THE WAY THE WORLD BLESSES
For those of us who love Jesus, why is it so important to entertain the macabre and flirt with the dark side for one day, one week, or one month out of the year, instead of delighting in the joy the Lord Himself has set before us?

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile....’” —Jeremiah 10:2

We often say we don't want to deprive our children of candy, of dressing up, of the “fun” they have by participating in this holiday. But God has already told us the customs of the world are futile!

If this is the kind of happiness we want for our children, we are clearly setting our standards too low. Seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness, and He will provide all of the other things we need.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”—Psalm 37:3-4

God in His divine sovereignty did not give us Halloween for our entertainment. Instead, we thought we were missing something and we hijacked it! Just like Eve in the garden, we believed Satan’s lie that God was withholding something good from us. God, however, has far better things in store for us than candy corn and parlor games. Why do we continue to grovel in the plastic sandbox when God has given us the entire beach?

We continue pouring time and money into what is overall something that has no lasting fruit and does not in any way glorify God. Would our time be better spent in prayer, teaching our children about the real dangers their friends face by dabbling in the occult? As a Christian, I don't want to spend even a penny of my money on a $7-billion-a-year event that is so dishonoring to GodAs a nation, it is painfully evident where our hearts are.

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” —Luke 12:34

9. THERE IS SIN IN THE CAMP
Even if we think our costumes are not sinful (as if it’s the costume that’s the problem and not the fact that we are still giving reverence to the holiday itself), what about others who have decided that there is nothing wrong with their costumes either? After all, they aren’t really practicing witchcraft, just dressing up as witches. So do we excuse the dressing up but draw the line at Ouija boards? What about pretending to cast spells? We have made ourselves the judges of what is good and evil instead of following God’s command to avoid even the spoils of the enemy.

I have two words to say to that kind of thinking: Remember Achan.

In Joshua 7, Israel was accursed and could not even stand before its enemies because just one man, Achan, had taken the spoils of Jericho, when God had said no one was to touch themBy the sin of one man, the entire nation was judged.

“Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.” —Joshua 7:8-12

It's just a holiday — what’s the big deal? The darkness of Halloween is devoted to destruction and is in no way honoring to our Father of lights (James 1:17) — and no orange and black sugar coating will make it so. God is a jealous God, and all pagan beliefs are sinful in God’s eyes. We can’t choose how much or even how nicely we want to celebrate.

And we need to help hold each other accountable because we may all bear the judgment for sin in the camp.

At this time in history more than ever, we are in great need of God’s mercy on our land:

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek My faceand turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” —2 Chronicles 7:14

Yet how many of us are truly humbling ourselves and turning from wickedness? We say we are followers of Christ, but we refuse to surrender in complete obedience to His Word in even the simple act of turning from a holiday that glorifies evil.

If still we refuse to repent and seek God’s wisdom in every aspect of our lives, we should not be surprised when God further removes His hand of blessing and protection from this great land.

10. COME OUT FROM THEM AND BE SEPARATE
Perhaps the reason I finally let go of Halloween was precisely because I didn’t want to.

If that sounds like a contradiction, let me explain. You see, the very fact that I kept coming up with reasons and excuses so I could continue celebrating eventually led me to question my motives. Why was I hanging on so tightly? Was it possible that my celebration of Halloween had become an idol to meCertainly it appeared so, because still I embraced the traditions of men even when I knew God’s heart on the matter.

“Therefore come out from them and be separate from them, says the Lord.” —2 Corinthians 6:17

God wants His people to be holy, which means to be set apart. If everyone else is doing something, and I’m doing it too, that is a good time to examine myself to see if I’m really in the faith. If people don’t look at me and think I am peculiar (1 Peter 2:9) — IF I FIT RIGHT IN WITH OUR CULTURE AND NO ONE CAN TELL I AM ANY DIFFERENT — THEN I AM PROBABLY DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

The Bible doesn’t say that we should have less to do with darkness than other people do; it says have nothing to do with evil. By even acknowledging and associating with the holiday, I was giving credence to it in my life and opening myself to deception.

Jesus said, “In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”  Matthew 15:9

It is my prayer that everyone who follows Christ will prayerfully seek God’s wisdom from His word, rather than follow the useless and empty traditions of man.

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore DO NOT BE PARTAKERS WITH THEMFor you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.” —Ephesians 5:6-10

If you are still not convinced that celebrating Halloween dishonors God, I pray that you will do some additional research.  There is much more evidence available, which clearly shows that participating in Halloween observance is actually worshiping Satan.

The Nature of Man: What Happens After Death?


The Nature of Man

“To the Christian, death is but is sleep, a moment of silence and darkness.” The Desire of Ages, 787.

What Is Death?
• Psalm 13:3. The psalmist calls death a sleep.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:15. The dead are asleep. The Desire of Ages, 787.

• Matthew 27:52. They sleep in their graves.

• Acts 13:36. When David died he went to sleep.

• 1 Corinthians 15:51. Paul calls death a sleep.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:14. The righteous dead sleep in Jesus.

• 1 Kings 11:43. More than twenty-five times the expression, “Slept with his fathers,” is used when recording deaths of kings in the old Testament. We give one sample text.

• John 11:11-14. Jesus calls death a sleep.

• Hebrews 9:27. One death is appointed unto men.

• Genesis 2:17; 3:22-24; Romans 6:23. Death is the result of sin.

• John 8:44. Satan is the father of sin.

• Hebrews 2:14. He has the power of death.

• 2 Timothy 1:10. Christ abolished death. He changed death into a sleep.

• 1 Corinthians 15:22. This included all the dead.

• John 5:25-28. Christ has the power to awaken all from the sleep of death. The Desire of Ages, 320.

Are The Dead Conscious?
• Psalm 146:4. “His breath goeth forth; ... in that very day his thoughts perish.”

• Job 14:12, 21. No knowledge of what happens on earth after death. The Great Controversy, 549.

• Isaiah 38:10, 11. Do not see the Lord or men on the earth. The Great Controversy, 546.
• Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6. Do not know anything. The Desire of Ages, 557, 558.

• Psalm 115:17. Praise not the Lord.

• Psalm 6:5. No remembrance of God.

• Psalm 88:11, 12. Grave the land of forgetfulness.

• Job 14:12. Remain in the grave till the heavens are no more.

• Revelation 6:14-17. Heavens roll together when Christ returns to earth.

• Job 19:23-27. Job knew he would wake at that time.

• John 5:29. Two classes in the resurrection.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. Righteous arise when Christ comes.

• Revelation 20:5. Wicked raised 1000 years later.

How Are The Dead Raised Up?
• 1 Corinthians 15:35. “With what body do they come?”

• 1 Corinthians 15:36-38. The same individual will come from the grave that went into the grave as truly as wheat comes from wheat sown in the earth.

• 1 Corinthians 15:44. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.”

• 1 Corinthians 15:20. Christ was the first-fruits, or sample. Testimonies for the Church 9:286.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:14. Those that sleep in Jesus will be brought forth as He was.

• Luke 24:39-43. Christ arose with the same body that hung on the cross.

• Luke 24:30, 35. Recognized by His manner of breaking bread.

• John 20:15, 16. Mary knew her Lord by His voice.

• John 20:3-8. John recognized Christ by his orderly habits.

• John 20:26-28. Philip knew His by His personal appearance. As Jesus’ friends recognized Him, so we will recognize our friends.

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-54. Righteous dead raised immortal.

• Philippians 3:20, 21. Their bodies will be like Christ’s glorious body.
• Matthew 17:1, 2. Their faces will shine as the sun, and raiment be white as the light.

• Hosea 13:14. Christ has pledged to redeem them from death.

• Job 14:15. He will call, the saints will answer.

• Isaiah 26:19. Christ will call, “Awake and sing.”

• 1 Corinthians 15:54-57. The righteous spring forth with a song of victory. Testimonies for the Church 2:229.

Two Resurrections and the Second Death
• John 5:28, 29. Two resurrections: one to life, and the other to damnation. The Great Controversy, 544.

• Revelation 20:5. One thousand years between the two.

• Matthew 24:30, 31. When the righteous arise Christ gathers them.

• Revelation 20:5-9. When the wicked arise Satan gathers them. Christ’s Object Lessons, 270.

• Revelation 20:13. Gathered from land and sea.

• Revelation 20:6; 2:11. Righteous never die the second death.

• Revelation 20:14. Second death is the lake of fire.

• Revelation 20:15; Romans 6:23. All whose names are not in the book of life, suffer the second death.

Eternal Life, The Gift Of God
• 1 Timothy 6:15, 16. God only hath immortality.

• John 5:26. God gave Christ immortality.

• 1 John 5:11, 12. Eternal life given man through Christ. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life.”

• 1 John 3:15. No wicked person hath eternal life.

• 2 Timothy 1:10. Christ “brought life and immortality to light.”

• Job 4:17. Man is only mortal.

• Romans 2:6, 7. We are admonished to seek for immortality, eternal life. If we possessed it, we would not need to seek for it.

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-54. It will be given the righteous at Christ’s second coming.

Life Only Through Christ, As Taught By The Cities Of Refuge
• Numbers 35:11-14. The six cities of refuge were a constant reminder that eternal life was a gift and not an inherent human inheritance. Patriarchs and Prophets, 516.

• Deuteronomy 19:2, 3. The roads leading to the cities were to be kept in good repair that the one fleeing might not be hindered. Patriarchs and Prophets, 515.

• Numbers 35:15. The refuge was free to all; even the stranger and sojourner might flee thither. Patriarchs and Prophets, 515.

• Numbers 35:16-25. The regulations regarding these cities taught that there were degrees of crime. It was possible to go so far in sin that the sinner was delivered over to the avenger even at the gate of the city. Patriarchs and Prophets, 516.

• Hebrews 6:4-6; Matthew 12:31, 32. There is an unpardonable sin.

• Hebrews 12:16, 17. Illustrated in the case of Esau.

• Joshua 20:4. Confession was made at the gate before the one fleeing was received.

• 1 John 1:9. The sinner must confess.

• Numbers 35:26-29. Inside the city was life; outside the city was death. Patriarchs and Prophets, 517.

• Proverbs 18:10; Psalm 91:2. Christ is a refuge. Patriarchs and Prophets, 516, 517.

• 1 John 5:11, 12; John 15:4-7. Our safety is to abide in Christ.

• Numbers 35:26-28. If one presumptuously went outside the city, his life could be taken.

• Ezekiel 18:24-26. The one that turns from the refuge of Christ, dies the second death.

• Joshua 20:6; Numbers 35:25. There were two important events to which the dweller in the city looked forward,-the judgment and the death of the high priest. The judgment decided his destiny; the death of the high priest restored him to freedom of the land. The decision in the judgment decides our eternal destiny; and when our High Priest ceases to be high priest, our adversary, the devil, has no power to take our life, and we come into possession of our eternal inheritance.

The Great Adversary
“The true character of the usurper, and his real object, must be understood by all.”

• Ezekiel 28:15. Was perfect when created.

• Ezekiel 28:12. Full of wisdom, perfect in beauty. Patriarchs and Prophets, 35.

• Ezekiel 28:14. Covering cherub.

• Ezekiel 28:17. Proud of his beauty.

• Ezekiel 28:17. Pride ruined his wisdom.

• Isaiah 14:13. Coveted higher position. Patriarchs and Prophets, 36.

• Isaiah 14:14. Coveted the throne of God.

• Revelation 12:7. Other angels affected. Patriarchs and Prophets, 37, 39, Testimonies for the Church 3:328.

• Revelation 12:7. Christ and loyal angels fought against Satan and his angels.

• Revelation 12:8. Satan was defeated.

• Isaiah 14:12. Satan cast out of heaven. The Desire of Ages, 493.

• Revelation 12:9. His angels cast out with him. Patriarchs and Prophets, 41.

• Revelation 12:9. Cast to this earth.

• Genesis 3:1-6. He caused our first parents to sin. Patriarchs and Prophets, 53-59.

• Romans 6:16. Gained Adam’s dominion.

• Ephesians 2:2. Prince of the power of the air.

• John 14:30. The Saviour called him the prince of this world. The Desire of Ages, 123, 679.

Second Fall of Satan
• 1 Kings 22:19-22. Although Satan and his angels had been cast from heaven, they still could appear in the counsels of the Lord at the gate of heaven.

• Job 1:6. Satan met with the sons of God.

• Luke 3:38. Adam as the prince of this earth was called a “son of God.”

• 2 Peter 2:19. Satan usurped Adam’s position.

• Job 1:7. He represented the earth in the council.

• Job 1:9-11. Accused God of being arbitrary.

• Job 1:12-22. When given power only destroyed.

• John 14:30. Satan has no part in Christ, who was a sinless son of Adam.

• John 12:31-33. Christ’s death judged Satan. The Desire of Ages, 490.

• John 12:31. Christ’s death cast Satan out of his place.

• Luke 10:18. He fell as lightening from heaven.

• Revelation 12:10. A shout rang through heaven when the accuser was cast out.

• 2 Peter 2:19; Hebrews 2:14. Christ overcame Satan, and is now the representative of this world.

• Hebrews 2:17. Instead of the accuser at the gate of heaven, we have a merciful High Priest.

• Hebrews 4:14-16. One who loves to be merciful to us.

Third Fall of Satan
• Revelation 20:1-3. It does not take Christ or a host of angels to overcome Satan; one angel binds him.

• Revelation 20:3. He is confined to his own territory.

• Jeremiah 4:23-26; Isaiah 24:19-21. Sin has made the earth a dark abyss.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. Righteous in heaven.

• Jeremiah 25:31-33. Wicked all dead.

• Revelation 20:3. Satan is alone with the evil angels for 1000 years. He is bound by circumstances; the righteous are in heaven, the wicked dead, there is no one for him to tempt.

• Revelation 20:5. The wicked live again at the end of 1000 years.

• Revelation 20:7. This gives Satan work, and he is said to be “loosed.”

• Revelation 20:8. Deceives the wicked.
• Revelation 20:9. As they gather for battle all are destroyed.

• Hebrews 2:14. Christ died to destroy Satan.

• Revelation 20:10. As long as Satan lives in the fire he suffers torment, but as sure as Christ died, Satan will die when he has suffered the penalty for sin.

• Ezekiel 28:18, 19. Satan becomes ashes on the earth in the sight of the righteous. The Desire of Ages, 490.

• Malachi 4:1-3. Ashes on the new earth is all that remains of Satan and sinners.

Ancient Spiritualism
• Exodus 7:11-13. Sorcerers (spiritualist mediums) influenced Pharaoh.

• Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27; Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10-12. Spiritualist mediums, anciently called witches and wizards, were an abomination. The Great Controversy, 556.

• 2 Kings 1:1-4. Consulted in case of sickness. Testimonies for the Church 5:191-199.

• 1 Samuel 28:8, 11. Familiar spirits profess to be spirits of dead people.

• 1 Chronicles 10:13. Saul’s crowning sin was consulting familiar spirits.

• 2 Chronicles 33:1-6. Manasseh dealt with familiar spirits.

• 2 Kings 17:17, 18. Israel went into captivity because they “used divinations and enchantments.”

• Deuteronomy 18:9-14; 2 Kings 17:15-18. The heathen nations were spiritualists; they dealt with familiar spirits.

• 2 Kings 17:16, 17. Spiritualism always connected with Baal-or sun-worship.

• Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:37; Leviticus 17:7. The heathen Baal-worship was devil-worship. This was the principal adversary against the cause of God until about the sixth century A.D.

• Genesis 3:1-6. The first spiritualist medium was the serpent. The devil spoke directly through the serpent.

• Isaiah 8:19, 20. When asked to consult with familiar spirits, turn to the Bible (the law and the testimony) instead of spiritualism.

Modern Spiritualism
• Revelation 16:13-15. Unclean spirits will speak through great powers of earth in the last days.

• Revelation 13:1-14. As the prophetic period of 1260 years was closing, a nation was seen arising. The United States arose at that time. Out of this nation a miracle-working power was to arise. About 1848 modern spiritualism began to attract attention through the Fox sisters of New York.

• Acts 8:9; 13:6-10; Revelation 9:20, 21. Sorcery was an evil in New Testament times.

• Revelation 18:2. Modern Babylon becomes “the hold of every foul spirit.”

• 1 Corinthians 10:20. Gentiles worshiped devils.

• Job 14:14, 20, 21; 7:8-10. The dead do not know what takes place after their death.

• Psalm 146:3, 4. Their power to think ceases.

• Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6. The dead do not know anything; hence, a spirit purporting to be a spirit of any dead person, must be a wicked spirit trying to deceive.

• Revelation 16:14; 13:14. The devil can work miracles. The Great Controversy, 553, 554.

• 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. The devil can appear as an angel of light; hence, can easily personate the dead, or be a “spirit guide”. The Great Controversy, 552.

• Revelation 16:13-15. Spiritualism will be a bond uniting different earthly powers together for the “battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Testimonies for the Church 5:451.

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