Question for people who've read, understand and believe in the bible??

Question

k, so I've been thinking lately and I have a few questions about the bible, christianity, and Ghosts. Ive never believed in ghosts but lately im begining to rethink that....First off- does the bible specifically ever say that there are no such things as ghosts? (if it does, where is it at so I can look it up)

Some people think that when we die, thats when your judgement day is.....some people think that theres one judgement day for everyone... so if thats the case...doesnt that mean that both heaven and hell are empty right now?

Also if that is true....then is it possible that ghosts do exist, and theyre just waiting for the judgement day?

I understand if you dont believe in heaven or hell or anything like that but if thats the case then please dont answer my question just to state that you think its a waste of time..if thats your belief then fine..dont waste your time answering.. I just want some answers (or opinions) on what christianity really thinks about ghosts

Did I just say dont waste your time telling me you dont believe in the bible? I dont care if you think its fiction dear.

thanks so far to people who answered seriously and not just to tell me they dont believe in the bible. I didnt mean empty, empty(I know..I didnt specify im sorry but I see your point)...I mean nobody who died is in heaven or hell yet...I dont know, Ive heard that when you die you either go right to heaven or hell, and ive heard that when you die, you gotta sit around and wait til the judgement day

Answer 1

I believe there are spirits around, both good and bad. One group of spirits are messengers/angels of God, and the other group consists of the evil demons. That is why the Lord told us to test the spirits whether they are from Him or not. I have personally heard both kinds (not seen) so I know for a fact that there are spirits working in the world today.

I believe that we are judged at the moment of death. Heaven is not empty, according to revelations. There are souls there waiting for God to take vengeance on their behalf. Millions upon millions are already in heaven.

IMO when Jesus returns, the people who are dead in Christ, meaning the believers that have died before the "rapture" will have their soul (which is already with God) united with a glorified body and they will be resurrected. Next the believers that are alive at the time of the "rapture" will be "caught up" to Jesus in the clouds. They too will receive a glorified body united with their spirit. This all occurs in the twinkling of an eye. The point is our corruptible flesh body, which is dead and returns to dust, must put on an incorruptible, new, glorified body...then we are resurrected, body and spirit. A believer has already been judged at this point, otherwise, no one would be "caught up" to Jesus.

The judgment for all people that are left, during the tribulation period, are judged with the sheep/believers on the right and the goats/ unbelievers on the left.

I kind of went off there. To answer your question: Our souls go directly to God and are judged upon death of our physical body. Believers go to paradise/heaven; Unbelievers go to hades/hell. There is a separate judgment at the very end for people that were not raptured and had to live through the tribulation. I do believe there are spirits both good and bad here in the world. I don't think "grandpa Joe" is haunting the attic. The spirits I'm talking about are angels or demons and we are to test them.

Answer 2

What excellent questions! I use the NWT of the bible, in which I don't believe the word "ghost" is ever found. I don't know about other translations. I do know, though, that the bible absolutely makes mention of Satan the devil and his demons. All of these were originally created as angels by Jehovah God but rebelled - Satan in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and most, if not all, of the demons during the flood of Noah's day (also in Genesis - I believe in Chapters 6 to 9).

There are references to Satan and to the demons throughout the entire bible - the Hebrew Scriptures (or Old Testament) and the Greek Scriptures (or New Testament) alike. Revelation 12 talks about the Devil (and his demon associates) being hurled to the earth when Michael the Archangel threw him out (Jehovah's Witnesses believe this happened in 1914 - there is a mathematical equation based on a bible prophecy in the book of Daniel (Hebrew Scriptures) that brings us to this date) and so, no doubt, they take on many forms and bother humans even to this day. There are plenty of occurrences of demons on the earth, possessing people even in Jesus day that can be found in the Gospels (Matthew - John) and in the Old Testament too.

As for the ghosts of "humans". Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 tells us that when a person dies, they are conscious of nothing at all. So you are right not to believe in ghosts that are really the spirits of dead people. Those do not exist and the Bible doesn't support that idea. Ezekiel 18:4 says "...the soul that is sinning, it itself will die."

There is no such thing as an eternal torturous place of burning hellfire that some churches teach. So you are right, no one is in such a place.

As for your questions about heaven and judgment day, I could go on and on. If you are satisfied by what you have read so far, please talk to Jehovah's Witnesses the next time they come 'round and they can explain more without any obligation to you. Alternatively, check out www.watchtower.org or call your local Kingdom Hall (look in the white pages).

You have excellent questions and you deserve answers. Keep searching!

Answer 3

There are no such things as ghosts for the Bible tells us that the dead cannot hear, see, or feel anything--"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Ecclesiastes 9:10
"His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Psalm 146:4
Satan and his demons like to scare people. Sometimes they pretend to be people who have died. They may even imitate voices of those who have died. In this way the demons fool many into believing that dead people are alive and can talk with the living. Yes, the demons cause many people to believe in ghosts.
The Bible warns that Satan and his demons are intent on misleading mankind. They take advantage of mankind’s despair and hopelessness to offer attractive, but false, solutions. (2 Corinthians 11:14) Hence, the Bible warning: “In later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons.”—1 Timothy 4:1.
Christians need to listen to what the Bible really teaches about the dead. If they do, then they will not believe in ghosts, but will realize just how powerful Satan is in his quest to deceive us.

Answer 4

According to the bible, there is only one judgment day for all, and yes, heaven is empty, hell is a different story. The bible says nothing about there being anyone there now. Ghosts are not spirits of dead people, they are minions of Satan who can represent familiar people, such as the so-called Virgin Mary.

Answer 5

Acts 2: 34 Actually David did not ascend to the heavens, but he himself says, ‘Jehovah said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”’

John 3: 13 Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man.

At death you do not "go to heaven"

Jesus said death is like sleep.

John 11: 11 He said these things, and after this he said to them: “Laz´a·rus our friend has gone to rest, but I am journeying there to awaken him from sleep.” 12 Therefore the disciples said to him: “Lord, if he has gone to rest, he will get well.” 13 Jesus had spoken, however, about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

If the dead are a sleep, then they aren't ghosts.

Ezek 18: 4 Look! All the souls—to me they belong. As the soul of the father so likewise the soul of the son—to me they belong. The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.

Even the soul dies, and the spirit returns to God.

Ps 146: 3 Do not put YOUR trust in nobles,
Nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.

4 His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground;
In that day his thoughts do perish.

Eccl 9: 5 For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. 10 All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in She´ol, the place to which you are going.

(Sheol depending on the bible you use means hell, grave, or pit. So no matter which is your belief, those how die are dead and can not have contact with the living.)

Answer 6

When a person dies, he ceases to exist. "As for the dead they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. Also, their love and their hate and ther jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

Notice that Jesus compared death to rest and sleep. Lazarus was neither in heaven nor in a burning hell. He was not meeting angels or ancestors. Lazarus was not being reborn as another human. He was at rest in death, as though in a deep sleep without dreams. John 11:11-14

Answer 7

I personally believe that if we die a christian , our last breath on earth will be our first breath in heaven. If we don't believe then the opposite is true. We wake up in hell. I believe there will also be a judgment day for everyone. The bible speaks of a place called paradise. It was a kind of holding place before Christ got the keys to death and hell. Either way you believe this is a very good question and I hope you get many good answers.

Answer 8

The bible tells you how to live, it doesn't tell you about everything in life and our existance. I am christian and believe in ghosts. Just because the bible doesnt say it doesnt mean it isn't true, the bible said the sun revolved around the earth when we know that isnt true. So to answer your question, yes I think there is a whole new world outside this physical reality. A spiritual world we know very little about. Just like we know very little about heaven and hell. I feel just like earth, there is a spiritual world in between heaven and hell, maybe a kind of purgatory or even something different. Who's to say how many states of realities actually exist?

Answer 9

Good question but the answer would depend on what religion you believe in. Most believe that everyone is judged at the same time. And No Heaven and Hell are not empty. When Lucifer was kicked out of Heaven he took 1/3 of the angels with him. And God and Jesus are in Heaven along with other Holy Spirits.

Answer 10

Ghosts are spoken of negatively in the Bible.
Something to shun. Deuteronomy 18:10 - 12.
Case in point would be Saul ....1 Chronicles 10:13.
Just to show the idea is carried over to the Christian system .....1 Corinthians 10:20,21.
When we die we cease to exist 100%. Ecclesiastes 9:5,10.
This includes the 'soul' Ezekial 18:4.
Ghosts are actually wicked spirit creatures (rebel angels) toying with us.