Christians, do you believe people can communicate with the dead?

Question

I used to think that communication with the deceased was impossible and a bunch of rubbish that gypsies, new agers, and other false faiths believed in...but then I came across I Samuel 28, where Saul consults a Medium who conjures up the spirit of Samuel for him. Samuel, a prohet of God, was clearly called back, albeit by unholy means. So fellow Christians, I am curious, what do you believe about "speaking with the deceased"?

Answer 1

Saul spoke to Samuel...so yes...it is possible to communicate with the dead. The dead are conscious and aware...look at the rich man and Lazarus, which is NOT a parable. Would we want to communicate with the dead? No. God forbids it.
*Deuteronomy 18:11-12 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
*Isaiah 8:19 And 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?

Answer 2

In the Law Covenant, communicating with the "dead" carried the death penalty for a very good reason. The dead cannot communicate with anybody. The ones that mimic the dead loved ones are the demons so as to have people believing their age old lie to Eve that you shall not die, even when you die.

Ask yourself this question. If Samuel did not want to see and talk to King Saul while he was alive, would he really want to talk to him after he died? Thus it is obvious what the truth is.

Please see the pages on the condition of the dead, Sheol and Judgment and Angels Demons and Ghosts:
http://bythebible.page.tl/Angels-%26-Demons.htm
http://bythebible.page.tl/1-.--Dead__the-condition-of--.---.---.--.htm
http://bythebible.page.tl/Judgment-%26-Sheol.htm

Answer 3

The saints are alive in Christ.

This is why we ask them to pray for us- we believe that they are as much alive as our fellow churchgoers whom we will often ask to pray for us. If you understand the latter concept, then the former is also clarified.

Essentially, if you believe that the saints are 'dead', then how can you reconcile this with the concept of eternal life in Christ?

So essentially, I believe we do commune with the dead. They are with us at every church service, and in every prayer. As a previous answerer said much better, we are members of the Church Militant, and they are within the Church Triumphant- that is to say, they have passed victoriously into eternal life.

Additionally, the Church has always held the belief in the Bosom of Abraham (Sheol, I believe), which was where the righteous of Israel slept in death, in relative peace. Therefore, Saul simply woke Samuel from this resting place. With the gates of heaven now open to the saints, we commune with them from heaven- we should not attempt to conjure them through seances and such.

Answer 4

To answer this it is necessary to define terms. Of course saints have left there earthly life but are very much alive in Christ and in fact hear our prayers and present them before the altar of God as well as worship with us as the Church Triumphant.

I believe that in most cases, other than fraud, if one is communicating with a spirit it is a demonic spirit or a fallen angel and not one who is deceased.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

BTW- One must be careful in interpreting Scriptures. Errors can occur by not understanding the Scriptures in context with the body of Scriptures. In the case of here often the Bible speaks of people being dead when they are dead in spirit or not in God's will instead of physically dead.

Answer 5

In the New Testament story of the rich man and Lazarus, we are taught that there is NO communication between the living and the dead.

Samuel needs to be taken in context. Most of the Old Testament falls into various literary forms and uses literary devices appropriate to that genre.

Answer 6

No, the dead cannot communicate with us, but demons posing as the dead can. In the Old Testament, King Saul had the witch of En-Dor call up what he thought was the prophet Samuel, but who was a demon in disguise.

I Samuel 26:6-8

6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.



God in turn destroyed Saul for what he did, and the author of I Chronicles said that God had destroyed Saul for communicating with a "familiar spirit" (a demon).

I Chronicles 10:13

13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

So just as Saul spoke with a demon, anyone speaking to the dead is speaking to a demon disguising themselves as the dead person.

Answer 7

I believe that anything is possible and sure you could probably talk to some dead guy. Or a family/relative to check on them while their floating on their clouds up in heaven. That would be so great to talk to all of my long lost ancestors. Sweet.

Answer 8

It may be so, I have never tried or I never will.
The Bible says's stay away from Mediums.
My belief is who ever may be contacted is probably not in Heaven.
If Mediums are with in Gods will, ask them to contact Mose or David or any other people of God, They can't!

Answer 9

Yes it is possible.
Yes GOD forbids it.
Yes it will open doors for satan to hoodoo you.
Yes that's (and other reasons) why GOD forbids it.

Sometimes you do something, even innocently, and it will open up a Door and satan will give you Hell for a Long Time untill you find out how to Close it!!!
GOD knows more than we think!!!

I have personal experience on this one!
Caught Hell for Years!
GOD helped me Close those Doors.
satan is real.
doors are real.
curses are real.
Hell is real.
And you can Experience Hell up here on the Earth's surface too! (look up---hell rises's up to meet you).
Hope this helps!
Ditto.................

Answer 10

You have to remember that we are only dead to those who still inhabit the earth. Life is eternal one way or the other.

Speaking to the "dead" is simply a matter of relativity.