Chapter 34 : Spiritualism

The ministration of holy angels, as presented in the Scriptures, is

a truth most comforting and precious to every follower of Christ. But

the Bible teaching upon this point has been obscured and perverted

by the errors of popular theology. The doctrine of natural immortality,

first borrowed from the pagan philosophy, and in the darkness

of the great apostasy incorporated into the Christian faith, has supplanted

the truth, so plainly taught in Scripture, that “the dead know

not anything.” Multitudes have come to believe that it is the spirits

of the dead who are the “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for

them who shall be heirs of salvation.” And this notwithstanding the

testimony of Scripture to the existence of heavenly angels, and their

connection with the history of man, before the death of a human

being.

The doctrine of man’s consciousness in death, especially the

belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has

prepared the way for modern Spiritualism. If the dead are admitted

to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge

far exceeding what they before possessed, why should they

not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living? If, as

taught by popular theologians, the spirits of the dead are hovering

about their friends on earth, why should they not be permitted to

communicate with them, to warn them against evil, or to comfort

them in sorrow? How can those who believe in man’s consciousness

in death reject what comes to them as divine light communicated by

glorified spirits? Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which [552]

Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen

angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit

world. While professing to bring the living into communication with

the dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon

their minds.

He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed

friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the

words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness. Many

are comforted with the assurance that their loved ones are enjoying

the bliss of Heaven; and without suspicion of danger, they give ear

to “seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

When they have been led to believe that the dead actually return

to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear who went

into the grave unprepared. They claim to be happy in Heaven,

and even to occupy exalted positions there; and thus the error is

widely taught, that no difference is made between the righteous

and the wicked. The pretended visitants from the world of spirits

sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct.

Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that directly

undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep

interest in the well-being of their friends on earth, they insinuate

the most dangerous errors. The fact that they state some truths, and

are able at times to foretell future events, gives to their statements

an appearance of reliability; and their false teachings are accepted

by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they

were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The law of God is set aside,

the Spirit of grace despised, the blood of the covenant counted an

unholy thing. The spirits deny the divinity of Christ, and place even

the Creator on a level with themselves. Thus under a new disguise

the great rebel still carries forward his warfare against God, begun in

Heaven, and for nearly six thousand years continued upon the earth.

[553] Many endeavor to account for spiritual manifestations by attributing

them wholly to fraud and sleight of hand on the part of

the medium. But while it is true that the results of trickery have

often been palmed off as genuine manifestations, there have been,

also, marked exhibitions of supernatural power. The mysterious

rapping with which modern Spiritualism began was not the result of

human trickery or cunning, but was the direct work of evil angels,

who thus introduced one of the most successful of soul-destroying

delusions. Many will be ensnared through the belief that Spiritualism

is a merely human imposture; when brought face to face with

manifestations which they cannot but regard as supernatural, they

will be deceived, and will be led to accept them as the great power

of God.

These persons overlook the testimony of the Scriptures concerning

the wonders wrought by Satan and his agents. It was by Satanic

aid that Pharaoh’s magicians were enabled to counterfeit the work

of God. Paul testifies that before the second advent of Christ there

will be similar manifestations of Satanic power. The coming of the

Lord is to be preceded by “the working of Satan with all power and

signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.”

[2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10.] And the apostle John, describing

the miracle-working power that will be manifested in the last days,

declares: “He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come

down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth

them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which

he had power to do.” [Revelation 13:13, 14.] No mere impostures

are here foretold. Men are deceived by the miracles which Satan’s

agents have power to do, not which they pretend to do.

The prince of darkness, who has so long bent the powers of his

master-mind to the work of deception, skillfully adapts his temptations

to men of all classes and conditions. To persons of culture and

refinement he presents Spiritualism in its more refined and intellec- [554]

tual aspects, and thus succeeds in drawing many into his snare. The

wisdom which Spiritualism imparts is that described by the apostle

James, which “descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,

devilish.” [James 3:15.] This, however, the great deceiver conceals,

when concealment will best suit his purpose. He who could appear

clothed with the brightness of the heavenly seraphs before Christ in

the wilderness of temptation, comes to men in the most attractive

manner, as an angel of light. He appeals to the reason by the presentation

of elevating themes, he delights the fancy with enrapturing

scenes, and he enlists the affections by his eloquent portrayals of

love and charity. He excites the imagination to lofty flights, leading

men to take so great pride in their own wisdom that in their hearts

they despise the Eternal One. That mighty being who could take

the world’s Redeemer to an exceedingly high mountain, and bring

before him all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them, will

present his temptations to men in a manner to pervert the senses of

all who are not shielded by divine power.

Satan beguiles men now as he beguiled Eve in Eden, by flattery,

by kindling a desire to obtain forbidden knowledge, by exciting

ambition for self-exaltation. It was cherishing these evils that caused

his fall, and through them he aims to compass the ruin of men. “Ye

shall be as gods,” he declares, “knowing good and evil.” [Genesis

3:5.] Spiritualism teaches “that man is the creature of progression;

that it is his destiny from his birth to progress, even to eternity,

toward the Godhead,” And again: “Each mind will judge itself and

not another.” “The judgment will be right, because it is the judgment

of self.... The throne is within you.” Said a Spiritualistic teacher, as

the “spiritual consciousness” awoke within him, “My fellow-men,

all were unfallen demigods.” And another declares, “Any just and

perfect being is Christ.

[555] Thus, in place of the righteousness and perfection of the infinite

God, the true object of adoration; in place of the perfect righteousness

of his law, the true standard of human attainment, Satan has

substituted the sinful, erring nature of man himself, as the only object

of adoration, the only rule of judgment, or standard of character.

This is progress, not upward, but downward.

It is a law both of the intellectual and the spiritual nature, that

by beholding, we become changed. The mind gradually adapts

itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell. It becomes

assimilated to that which it is accustomed to love and reverence.

Man will never rise higher than his standard of purity or goodness or

truth. If self is his loftiest ideal, he will never attain to anything more

exalted. Rather, he will constantly sink lower and lower. The grace

of God alone has power to exalt man. Left to himself, his course

must inevitably be downward.

To the self-indulgent, the pleasure-loving, the sensual, Spiritualism

presents itself under a less subtle disguise than to the more

refined and intellectual; in its grosser forms they find that which is

in harmony with their inclinations. Satan studies every indication of

the frailty of human nature, he marks the sins which each individual

is inclined to commit, and then he takes care that opportunities

shall not be wanting to gratify the tendency to evil. He tempts men

to excess in that which is in itself lawful, causing them, through

intemperance, to weaken physical, mental, and moral power. He

has destroyed and is destroying thousands through the indulgence

of the passions, thus brutalizing the entire nature of man. And to

complete his work, he declares, through the spirits, that “true knowl-

-edge places man above all law;” that “whatsoever is, is right;” that

“God doth not condemn;” and that “all sins which are committed are

innocent.” When the people are thus led to believe that desire is the

highest law, that liberty is license, and that man is accountable only

to himself, who can wonder that corruption and depravity teem on [556]

every hand? Multitudes eagerly accept teachings that leave them at

liberty to obey the promptings of the carnal heart. The reins of selfcontrol

are laid upon the neck of lust, the powers of mind and soul

are made subject to the animal propensities, and Satan exultingly

sweeps into his net thousands who profess to be followers of Christ.

But none need be deceived by the lying claims of Spiritualism.

God has given the world sufficient light to enable them to discover

the snare. As already shown, the theory which forms the very

foundation of Spiritualism is at war with the plainest statements of

Scripture. The Bible declares that the dead know not anything, that

their thoughts have perished; they have no part in anything that is

done under the sun; they know nothing of the joys or sorrows of

those who were dearest to them on earth.

Furthermore, God has expressly forbidden all pretended communication

with departed spirits. In the days of the Hebrews there

was a class of people who claimed, as do the Spiritualists of today,

to hold communication with the dead. But the “familiar spirits,”

as these visitants from other worlds were called, are declared by

the Bible to be the “spirits of devils.” [Compare Numbers 25:1-3;

Psalm 106:28; 1 Corinthians 10:20; Revelation 16:14.] The work of

dealing with familiar spirits was pronounced an abomination to the

Lord, and was solemnly forbidden under penalty of death. [Leviticus

19:31; 20:27.] The very name of witchcraft is now held in contempt.

The claim that men can hold intercourse with evil spirits is regarded

as a fable of the Dark Ages. But Spiritualism, which numbers its

converts by hundreds of thousands, yea, by millions, which has

made its way into scientific circles, which has invaded churches,

and has found favor in legislative bodies, and even in the courts of

kings—this mammoth deception is but a revival, in a new disguise,

of the witchcraft condemned and prohibited of old.

If there were no other evidence of the real character of Spiritual- [557]

ism, it should be enough for the Christian that the spirits make no

difference between righteousness and sin, between the noblest and

purest of the apostles of Christ and the most corrupt of the servants

of Satan. By representing the basest of men as in Heaven, and highly

exalted there, Satan says to the world: “No matter how wicked you

are; no matter whether you believe or disbelieve God and the Bible.

Live as you please; Heaven is your home.” The Spiritualist teachers

virtually declare, “Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight

of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of

judgment?” [Malachi 2:17.] Saith theWord of God, “Woe unto them

that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and

light for darkness.” [Isaiah 5:20.]

The apostles, as personated by these lying spirits, are made to

contradict what they wrote at the dictation of the Holy Spirit when

on earth. They deny the divine origin of the Bible, and thus tear

away the foundation of the Christian’s hope, and put out the light

that reveals the way to Heaven. Satan is making the world believe

that the Bible is a mere fiction, or at least a book suited to the infancy

of the race, but now to be lightly regarded, or cast aside as obsolete.

And to take the place of the Word of God he holds out spiritual

manifestations. Here is a channel wholly under his control; by this

means he can make the world believe what he will. The Book that

is to judge him and his followers he puts in the shade, just where

he wants it; the Saviour of the world he makes to be no more than

a common man. And as the Roman guard that watched the tomb

of Jesus spread the lying report which the priests and elders put

into their mouths to disprove his resurrection, so do the believers in

spiritual manifestations try to make it appear that there is nothing

miraculous in the circumstances of our Saviour’s life. After thus

[558] seeking to put Jesus in the background, they call attention to their

own miracles, declaring that these far exceed the works of Christ.

It is true that Spiritualism is now changing its form, and, veiling

some of its more objectionable features, is assuming a Christian

guise. But its utterances from the platform and the press have been

before the public for nearly forty years, and in these its real character

stands revealed. These teachings cannot be denied or hidden.

Even in its present form, so far from being more worthy of

toleration than formerly, it is really a more dangerous, because a

more subtle deception. While it formerly denounced Christ and the

Bible, it now professes to accept both. But the Bible is interpreted in

Spiritualism 473

a manner that is pleasing to the unrenewed heart, while its solemn

and vital truths are made of no effect. Love is dwelt upon as the

chief attribute of God, but it is degraded to a weak sentimentalism

making little distinction between good and evil. God’s justice, his

denunciations of sin, the requirements of his holy law, are all kept

out of sight. The people are taught to regard the decalogue as a dead

letter. Pleasing, bewitching fables captivate the senses, and lead men

to reject the Bible as the foundation of their faith. Christ is as verily

denied as before; but Satan has so blinded the eyes of the people

that the deception is not discerned.

There are few who have any just conception of the deceptive

power of Spiritualism and the danger of coming under its influence.

Many tamper with it, merely to gratify their curiosity. They have

no real faith in it, and would be filled with horror at the thought of

yielding themselves to the spirits’ control. But they venture upon the

forbidden ground, and the mighty destroyer exercises his power upon

them against their will. Let them once be induced to submit their

minds to his direction, and he holds them captive. It is impossible,

in their own strength, to break away from the bewitching, alluring

spell. Nothing but the power of God, granted in answer to the earnest [559]

prayer of faith, can deliver these ensnared souls.

All who indulge sinful traits of character, or willfully cherish

a known sin, are inviting the temptations of Satan. They separate

themselves from God and from the watchcare of his angels; as the

evil one presents his deceptions, they are without defense, and fall

an easy prey. Those who thus place themselves in his power, little

realize where their course will end. Having achieved their overthrow,

the tempter will employ them as his agents to lure others to ruin.

Says the prophet Isaiah: “When they shall say unto you, Seek

unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep,

and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the

living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony. If they speak

not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

[Isaiah 8:19, 20.] If men had been willing to receive the truth so

plainly stated in the Scriptures, concerning the nature of man and the

state of the dead, they would see in the claims and manifestations of

Spiritualism the working of Satan with power and signs and lying

wonders. But rather than yield the liberty so agreeable to the carnal

heart, and renounce the sins which they love, multitudes close their

eyes to the light, and walk straight on, regardless of warnings, while

Satan weaves his snares about them, and they become his prey.

“Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be

saved,” therefore “God shall send them strong delusion, that they

should believe a lie.” [2 Thessalonians 2:10, 11.]

Those who oppose the teachings of Spiritualism are assailing,

not men alone, but Satan and his angels. They have entered upon a

contest against principalities and powers and wicked spirits in high

places. Satan will not yield one inch of ground except as he is driven

back by the power of heavenly messengers. The people of God

[560] should be able to meet him, as did our Saviour, with the words, “It

is written.” Satan can quote Scripture now as in the days of Christ,

and he will pervert its teachings to sustain his delusions. Those who

would stand in this time of peril must understand for themselves the

testimony of the Scriptures.

Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating

beloved relatives or friends, and declaring the most dangerous heresies.

These visitants 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.

Just before us is the “hour of temptation, which shall come upon

all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” [Revelation

3:10.] All whose faith is not firmly established upon theWord of God

will be deceived and overcome. Satan “works with all deceivableness

of unrighteousness” to gain control of the children of men; and his

deceptions will continually increase. But he can gain his object only

as men voluntarily yield to his temptations. Those who are earnestly

seeking a knowledge of the truth, and are striving to purify their

souls through obedience, thus doing what they can to prepare for the

conflict, will find, in the God of truth, a sure defense. “Because thou

hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee,” [Revelation

3:10.] is the Saviour’s promise. He would sooner send every angel

out of Heaven to protect his people, than leave one soul that trusts

in him to be overcome by Satan.

The prophet Isaiah brings to view the fearful deception which

will come upon the wicked, causing them to count themselves secure

from the judgments of God: “We have made a covenant with death,

and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge

shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made

lies our refuge, and under the falsehood have we hid ourselves.”

[Isaiah 28:15.] In the class here described are included those who in [561]

their stubborn impenitence comfort themselves with the assurance

that there is to be no punishment for the sinner; that all mankind, it

matters not how corrupt, are to be exalted to Heaven, to become as

the angels of God. But still more emphatically are those making a

covenant with death and an agreement with hell, who renounce the

truths which Heaven has provided as a defense for the righteous in

the day of trouble, and accept the refuge of lies offered by Satan in

its stead,—the delusive pretensions of Spiritualism.

Marvelous beyond expression is the blindness of the people of

this generation. Thousands reject the Word of God as unworthy of

belief, and with eager confidence receive the deceptions of Satan.

Skeptics and scoffers denounce the bigotry of those who contend

for the faith of prophets and apostles, and they divert themselves

by holding up to ridicule the solemn declarations of the Scriptures

concerning Christ and the plan of salvation, and the retribution to

be visited upon the rejecters of the truth. They affect great pity for

minds so narrow, weak, and superstitious as to acknowledge the

claims of God, and obey the requirements of his law. They manifest

as much assurance as if, indeed, they had made a covenant with death

and an agreement with hell,—as if they had erected an impassable,

impenetrable barrier between themselves and the vengeance of God.

Nothing can arouse their fears. So fully have they yielded to the

tempter, so closely are they united with him, and so thoroughly

imbued with his spirit, that they have no power and no inclination to

break away from his snare.

Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the

world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given

to Eve in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.” “In the day ye eat thereof,

then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing

good and evil.” [Genesis 3:4, 5.] Little by little he has prepared

the way for his master-piece of deception in the development of [562]

Spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of

his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time. Says

the prophet: “I saw three unclean spirits like frogs; ... they are the

spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto 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.] 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.

Saith the Lord God: “Judgment also will I lay to the line, and

righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the

refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place. And

your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement

with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass

through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.” [Isaiah 28:17, 18.]