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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 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 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, 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
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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 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 deity of Christ and place even the Creator on a level with
themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel
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still carries on his warfare against God,
begun in heaven and for nearly six thousand years continued upon the
earth.
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 mastermind to the work of deception,
skillfully adapts his temptations to men of all classes and conditions.
To
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persons of culture and refinement he
presents spiritualism in its more refined and intellectual 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."
Thus, in place of the righteousness
and perfection of the
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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 knowledge places man above all law;" that "whatever
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
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on every hand? Multitudes eagerly accept
teachings that leave them at liberty to obey the promptings of the
carnal heart. The reins of self-control 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; I 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 spiritualism, it should be enough for the Christian
that the
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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: "Everyone 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 the word 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 our
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 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
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a Christian guise. But its utterances
from the platform and the press have been before the public for many
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 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 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.
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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 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.
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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 the word 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" (verse 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 falsehood have we hid ourselves." Isaiah
28:15. In the class here described are included those who in 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
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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 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. Says the
prophet: "I saw three unclean spirits like frogs; . . . they are the
spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth
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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.
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