Lesson 10 Review: Spiritualism Exposed

Introduction

Memory Text: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17, NKJV).

Satan deceives whom he destroys and destroys whom he deceives. Spiritualism is one of Satan's greatest deceptions but with a personal relationship with Christ and a solid grounding in the teachings of Christ we can be safeguarded from Satan's deceptions.

Where can we trace the idea of the soul’s natural immortality?

The fable that death is really just an entrance to a new stage of life is based on the concept of the soul’s natural immortality which is a pagan idea that infiltrated into the church early on as it moved away from its biblical foundations in an attempt to make its faith understandable to the wider Roman world.

What unbiblical belief has been around for so long?

The belief that the dead go right into heaven has been around for so long and it’s so deeply entrenched that it’s very difficult for people to let go of it.

What are the deadly consequences of spiritualism?

Spiritualism seduces people into false worship and counterfeits a genuine relationship with God, but it can never satisfy the deepest needs of the heart. This great deception leaves the victims with no protection against the deceptions Satan can foist on them, especially in the final crisis.

How does the Old Testament explain death?

The Old testament does not teach the immortality of the soul. Nor does it teach that the faithful soar off to the bliss of heaven for eternity and the unfaithful descend to hell, where they burn for eternity. The Old Testament rather teaches that death is a sleep. Psalms call it the “sleep of death” (Psalms 13:3; compare Psalms 90:5). In death, Job says there is no awaking (Job 14:12). Psalmist in Psalms 17:15 says I will see Your face in righteousness and will be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. Another is the death of the soldiers of the Assyrian army called their “final sleep” (Psalms 76:6, CJB).

What does the failure to understand the truth about death leads us to?

A failure to understand the truth about death leaves us open to the deceptions of Satan. Ellen G. White says many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating to be their beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies, but be ready to withstand them with the truth that the dead know nothing.

What elements do Daniel 12:2 and Job 19:25 add concerning the state of the dead?

Death is but a sleep until the resurrection. There are no disembodied spirits hovering around to communicate with the living. Regardless of how long it takes until Jesus returns, the next thing the dead would see is the resurrection. It will appear as though it was so soon to them.

What does the New Testament say about death?

Both the Old and New Testaments use the symbolism of death as a sleep with an added dimension already hinted in the Old: the glorious resurrection at Christ’s return where the dead in Christ will rise first. Eternal life is in Christ alone.

What kind of deceptions will people face in the Last Days?

The devil will use “signs and wonders” and spectacular miracles to deceive multitudes just before the coming of Christ. The devil will try to bypass the thinking process and appeal to the emotions.

What is our sole security from the deceptions of Satan?

Our sole security is in Jesus and His Word.

Where is our hope of Salvation rooted?

Our hope of salvation is rooted in Christ, His sacrifice and His return to claim His own (Titus 2:13).

What is Satan’s goal?

Satan’s goal is to destroy the hope of all Christians, “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). Satan will do all he can to prevent people from either “keeping the commandments of God” or having “the faith of Jesus,” or both through his deceptive teachings, signs and wonders.

What is one deception Satan will bring in the last days?

According to Ellen G. White in page 624 of the Great Controversy, he will make fearful sights of a supernatural power in the heavens, the spirits of devils will go forth to deceive kings thus deceiving agencies, rulers and subjects. He will perform signs and wonders, and as a crowning act of his deception, Satan himself will personate Christ resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation, making it appear that Christ has come in some parts of the world.

In Conclusion,

The Word of God tells us that death is but a sleep until the glorious return of Jesus Christ, we should not be deceived. I pray that may God help us to have a firm understanding of His word so as to resist the Satan’s deceptions in Jesus’ name.