Chapter 6

The Spirit That Returns to God

THERE should be no question in the mind of any sincere investigator that what the Bible speaks of as “soul” is not some immortal part of man that continues conscious existence after death. Yet when shown the overwhelming evidence about the true nature of the soul, some persons present other arguments in an effort to support their belief that something within man has continued existence after death.

One Biblical text that is often used is Ecclesiastes 12:7, which reads: “The dust returns to the earth just as it happened to be and the spirit itself returns to the true God who gave it.” In his Commentary, Wesleyan Methodist theologian Adam Clarke writes concerning this verse: “Here the wise man makes a most evident distinction between the body and the soul: they are not the same; they are not both matter. The body, which is matter, returns to dust, its original; but the spirit, which is immaterial, returns to God.” Similarly, A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture says: “The soul goes back to God.” Thus both commentaries imply that the soul and the spirit are the same.

Interestingly, though, other Roman Catholic and Protestant scholars present an entirely different view. In the “Glossary of Biblical Theology Terms” appearing in the Catholic New American Bible (published by P. J. Kenedy & Sons, New York, 1970), we read: “When ‘spirit’ is used in contrast with ‘flesh,’ . . . the aim is not to distinguish a material from an immaterial part of man . . . ‘Spirit’ does not mean soul.” At Ecclesiastes 12:7 this translation uses, not the word “spirit,” but the expression “life breath.” The Protestant Interpreter’s Bible observes regarding the writer of Ecclesiastes: “Koheleth does not mean that man’s personality continues to exist.” In view of such different conclusions, can we be sure just what the spirit is and in what sense it returns to God?

At Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 the effects of old age and death are portrayed in poetic language. After death, the body eventually decomposes and again becomes a part of the dust of the earth. The “spirit,” on the other hand, “returns to the true God.” So man’s death is linked with the spirit’s returning to God, this indicating that man’s life in some way depends upon that spirit.

In the original-language text of Ecclesiastes 12:7, the Hebrew word translated “spirit” or “life breath” is ruʹahh. The corresponding Greek term is pneuʹma. While our life does depend on the breathing process, the English word “breath” (as numerous translators often render the words ruʹahh and pneuʹma) is not always a suitable alternate translation for “spirit.” Furthermore, other Hebrew and Greek words, namely, n^e·sha·mahʹ (Hebrew) and pno·eʹ (Greek), are also translated as “breath.” (See Genesis 2:7 and Acts 17:25.) It is nevertheless noteworthy that, in using “breath” as an alternate rendering for “spirit,” translators are showing that the original-language terms apply to something that has no personality but is essential for the continuance of life.

THE SPIRIT IDENTIFIED

That man’s life depends on the spirit (ruʹahh or pneuʹma) is definitely stated in the Bible. We read: “If you [Jehovah] take away their spirit [ruʹahh], they expire, and back to their dust they go.” (Psalm 104:29) “The body without spirit [pneuʹma] is dead.” (James 2:26) Hence, the spirit is that which animates the body.

But this animating force is not simply breath. Why not? Because life remains in the body cells for a brief period after breathing stops. For this reason efforts at resuscitation can succeed, also body organs can be transplanted from one person to another. But these things have to be done quickly. Once the life-force is gone from the cells of the body, efforts to prolong life are futile. All the breath in the world could not revive even as much as one cell. Viewed in this light, the “spirit” evidently is an invisible life-force, active in every living cell of man’s body.

Is this life-force active only in man? What is stated in the Bible can help us to reach a sound conclusion on this. Regarding the destruction of human and animal life in a global flood, the Bible reports: “Everything in which the breath [n^eʹ·sha·mahʹ] of the force [ruʹahh, spirit] of life was active in its nostrils, namely, all that were on the dry ground, died.” (Genesis 7:22) At Ecclesiastes 3:19 the same basic point is made in connection with death: “There is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit [ruʹahh], so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast.” Accordingly, man is not superior to animals when it comes to the spirit animating his body. The same invisible spirit or life-force is common to both.

In a sense, the spirit or life-force active in both animals and man might be compared to a flow of electrons or electricity through a machine or an appliance. The invisible electricity may be used to perform various functions, depending upon the type of machine or appliance being energized. Stoves can be made to produce heat, fans to produce wind, computers to solve problems, and television sets to reproduce figures, voices and other sounds. The same invisible force that produces sound in one appliance can produce heat in another, mathematical computations in another. But does the electric current ever take on the often complex characteristics of the machines or appliances in which it functions or is active? No, it remains simply electricity​—a mere force or form of energy.

Similarly, both humans and animals “have but one spirit,” one activating force. The spirit or life-force that enables man to carry out functions of life in no way differs from the spirit that makes it possible for animals to do so. That spirit does not retain the characteristics of the dead body’s cells. For example, in the case of brain cells, the spirit does not retain the information stored there and continue thought processes apart from these cells. The Bible tells us: “His spirit [ruʹahh] goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.”​—Psalm 146:4.

This being the case, the return of the ruʹahh or spirit to God simply could not mean the continuance of conscious existence. The spirit does not continue human thought processes. It is only a life-force that has no conscious existence apart from a body.

HOW THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD

How, then, does this invisible, impersonal force or spirit return to God? Does it return to his literal presence in heaven?

The way in which the Bible uses the word “return” does not require that we, in each case, think of an actual movement from one place to another. For instance, unfaithful Israelites were told: “‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ Jehovah of armies has said.” (Malachi 3:7) Obviously this did not mean that the Israelites were to leave the earth and come into the very presence of God. Nor did it mean that God would leave his position in the heavens and begin dwelling on earth with the Israelites. Rather, Israel’s “returning” to Jehovah meant a turning around from a wrong course and again conforming to God’s righteous way. And Jehovah’s “returning” to Israel meant his turning favorable attention to his people once again. In both cases the return involved an attitude, not a literal movement from one geographical location to another.

That the return of something does not require actual movement might be illustrated by what happens in a transferal of a business or a property from the control of one party to another. For example, in a certain country the control of the railroads might be shifted from the hands of private enterprise to those of the government. When such a transferal takes place, the railroad equipment and even all the records may remain where they are. It is the authority over them that changes hands.

So it is in the case of the spirit or life-force. At death no actual movement from the earth to the heavenly realm need occur for it to ‘return to God.’ But the gift or grant of existence as an intelligent creature, as enjoyed once by the dead person, now reverts to God. That which is needed to animate the person, namely, the spirit or life-force, is in God’s hands.​—Psalm 31:5; Luke 23:46.

The situation might be compared to that of an accused man who says to a judge, ‘My life is in your hands.’ He means that what will become of his life rests with the judge. The accused has no choice in the matter. It is out of his hands.

Similarly, in the case of a dead man, he does not have control over his spirit or life-force. It has returned to God in the sense that he controls the future life prospects of the individual. It is up to God to decide as to whether he will restore the spirit or life-force to the deceased.

But does this necessarily shut out all possibility of life after death? Is there not something else to consider?

WHAT ABOUT REBIRTH OR REINCARNATION?

Millions of persons of various religious persuasions, whether called Christian or non-Christian, believe that humans had an existence prior to their present life and will continue to live after they die. Though their concepts vary greatly, they share in common the conviction that some part of man is reborn or reincarnated in another body.

Presenting one line of argument in favor of the belief in rebirth, A Manual of Buddhism states: “Sometimes we get strange experiences which cannot be explained but by rebirth. How often do we meet persons whom we have never before met and yet inwardly feel that they are quite familiar to us? How often do we visit places and yet feel impressed that we are perfectly acquainted with their surroundings?”

Have you ever experienced such things? After meeting a person, have you ever had the feeling that you have known him for a long time? What accounts for such an experience?

There are many similarities in people. Perhaps, after some thought, you yourself realized that the person had personality traits and physical features resembling those of a relative or a friend.

Likewise you may have lived in a particular city or seen pictures of it. Then, when visiting another city, you may note certain similarities so that you feel that you are not really amid strange and unfamiliar surroundings.

So, then, is it not reasonable to conclude that feelings of familiarity about previously unknown people and places are, not the product of some past life, but a result of experiences in the present life? Really, if all people had actually had previous existences, should they not all be aware of this? Why, then, do millions not even have the slightest sense or thought of having lived an earlier life? Furthermore, how can a person avoid the mistakes of his earlier lives if he cannot even recall them? Of what benefit would such previous lives be?

Some may offer the explanation that ‘life would be a burden if people knew the details of their previous existences.’ That is the way Mohandas K. Gandhi expressed it, saying: “It is nature’s kindness that we do not remember past births. Where is the good either of knowing in detail the numberless births we have gone through? Life would be a burden if we carried such a tremendous load of memories. A wise man deliberately forgets many things, even as a lawyer forgets the cases and their details as soon as they are disposed of.” That is an interesting explanation, but does it rest on a solid foundation?

While our ability to recall many things that we have experienced may be limited, our minds are certainly not totally blank respecting them. A lawyer may forget the precise details of certain cases, but the experience gained in handling them becomes part of his fund of knowledge. He would indeed be at a great disadvantage if he actually forgot everything. Then, too, which causes people greater disturbance​—a poor memory or a good memory? Is not an old man who has a good recall of his fund of knowledge and experience far better off than an old man who has practically forgotten everything?

Really, what “kindness” would there be in having to learn all over again things that one had already learned during a previous existence? Would you consider it “nature’s kindness” if every ten years of your life you forgot practically everything you knew and had to start learning a language again and then begin building up a fund of knowledge and experience, only to have it eradicated? Would this not be frustrating? Would this not result in terrible setbacks? Why, then, imagine that it happens every seventy or eighty years? Can you feature that a loving God could have made such rebirth part of his purpose for mankind?

Many who accept the doctrine of rebirth believe that those leading a bad life will be reborn in a lower caste or as insects, birds or beasts. Yet why is it, then, that there is a big human population explosion at a time when crime and violence are increasing on an unprecedented scale? Also, why can even those in the lowest caste excel when given educational opportunities? For example, the New York Times of October 26, 1973, reported that a sixteen-year-old girl of low caste was the brightest girl in the school at Kallipashim, India. She was smarter than a girl of the highest caste, a Brahman. How might this be explained? Is it not true that the doctrine of rebirth or reincarnation cannot provide satisfying explanations for such things?

Think, too, of the fruitage that such teaching has produced. Has it not deprived many humans of a dignified standing, forcing them to take menial jobs under poor working conditions, with little possibility of improving their lot in life through education?

DOES THE BIBLE TEACH REBIRTH?

Of course, some persons might point out that logical deductions do not necessarily rule out the possibility of rebirth. Their reply to the aforementioned arguments might be: ‘Even the Bible teaches rebirth. This is just one of many things that humans cannot fully explain.’

Since believers in rebirth do bring the Bible into the discussion, we should want to consider what it does say. Just what Biblical evidence is there for the belief in rebirth? The book What Is Buddhism? answers: “For the Christian reader we would point out that [the doctrine of rebirth] is clearly present in such mutilated fragments of Christ’s teachings as are still extant. Consider, for example, the widely current rumours that he was John the Baptist, Jeremiah or Elijah come again (Matt. xvi, 13-16). Even Herod seemed to think that he was ‘John the Baptist risen from the dead.’”

What about such arguments? Did Jesus Christ himself claim to be John the Baptist, Jeremiah or Elijah? No, these claims were made by persons who did not accept Jesus for what he really was, namely, the promised Messiah or Christ. Jesus simply could not have been John the Baptist, for when about thirty years of age the younger man, Jesus, was baptized by John, who was older. (Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-23) King Herod came up with the unreasoning conclusion that Jesus was John raised from the dead, because of his feelings of extreme guilt for having executed John.

But are there not direct statements of Jesus Christ that are viewed as supporting belief in rebirth or reincarnation? Yes, there is one. On one occasion Jesus Christ linked John the Baptist with the ancient Hebrew prophet Elijah, saying: “Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him but did with him the things they wanted. . . . Then the disciples perceived that he spoke to them about John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:12, 13) In stating, “Elijah has already come,” did Jesus mean that John the Baptist was Elijah reborn?

The answer to this question must be determined on the basis of what the Bible says as a whole. Many Jews back in the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry did think that Elijah would come back literally. And the prophecy of Malachi pointed forward to the time when Jehovah God would send the prophet Elijah. (Malachi 4:5) John the Baptist, however, did not view himself as Elijah in person or as a reincarnation of that Hebrew prophet. On one occasion certain Jews asked him, “Are you Elijah?” John replied, “I am not.” (John 1:21) It had, however, been foretold that John would prepare the way before the Messiah “with Elijah’s spirit and power.” (Luke 1:17) Accordingly, when Jesus linked John the Baptist with Elijah he was merely showing how the prophecy was fulfilled in John who did a work like that of Elijah of old.

Another passage of Scripture appealed to by believers in reincarnation is Romans 9:11-13: “When [Esau and Jacob] had not yet been born nor had practiced anything good or vile, in order that the purpose of God respecting the choosing might continue dependent, not upon works, but upon the One who calls, it was said to [Rebekah]: ‘The older will be the slave of the younger.’ Just as it is written [at Malachi 1:2, 3]: ‘I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated.’” Does this passage not show that God’s choosing was based on what Jacob and Esau had done during lives prior to their being born to Rebekah?

Why not reread it? Note that it specifically says that God’s choosing was made before either one had practiced good or bad. So God’s choice did not depend upon a record of past works in some earlier life.

On what basis, then, could God make a choice before the birth of the boys? The Bible reveals that God is able to see the embryo and, therefore, knows the genetic makeup of humans before birth. (Psalm 139:16) Exercising his foreknowledge, God perceived how the two boys would be basically as to temperament and personality and thus he could make a choice of the one who might be more suitable for the superior blessing. The record made by the two boys in life confirms the wisdom of God’s choice. While Jacob demonstrated spiritual interests and faith in God’s promises, Esau manifested a materialistic bent and lack of appreciation for sacred things.​—Hebrews 11:21; 12:16, 17.

As to the apostle Paul’s quotation from Malachi about God’s ‘loving Jacob’ and ‘hating Esau,’ this, too, relates to Jehovah’s view of them based on their genetic makeup. While recorded by Malachi many centuries after their lifetime, the statement confirmed what God had indicated about the boys before their birth.

A question raised by Jesus’ disciples is yet another example cited by some in support of reincarnation. Regarding a man blind from birth, the disciples asked: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?” (John 9:2) Do these words not reveal that the man must have had a previous existence?

No! Jesus Christ did not go along with any suggestion that the child developing in the womb of its mother had sinned of itself before birth. Jesus said: “Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but it was in order that the works of God might be made manifest in his case.” (John 9:3) That is to say, human imperfections and defects such as this man’s blindness provided the opportunity for the works of God to become manifest in the form of a miraculous cure. Had no one ever been born blind, humans would not have come to know that God can give sight to one born blind. Jehovah God, in allowing a sinful human race to come into existence, has used their imperfections and defects to show what he can do for them.

So while there may be Bible texts that some persons think support the concept of rebirth, closer examination indicates otherwise. In fact, nowhere in the Bible do we find any mention of the rebirth or transmigration of a soul, spirit or something else that survives the death of the body. Some have tried to ‘read into’ the Holy Scriptures the idea of rebirth or reincarnation. It is not a Bible doctrine.

The Bible dearly shows that conscious existence does not continue by means of a soul or spirit that leaves the body at death. When sentencing the first man to death for disobedience, God did not set before him any prospect of rebirth or reincarnation. Adam was told: “In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) Yes, the man was to return to the lifeless dust of the ground.

Are we, then, to understand that this life is all there is? Or, is there a provision for future life that is available in some other way? Might this provision make it necessary for the living to help the dead, or are the dead beyond any help from the living?

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The spirit is much like electricity, which activates many things but does not take on their qualities

Chapter 7

Do the Dead Need Your Help?

“TO SERVE those now dead as if they were living,” says an old Chinese proverb, “is the highest achievement of true filial piety.” If the dead truly exist in another realm and can benefit from the services of those remaining on earth, it would be a loving thing to show concern for them.

Of course, many people simply go through the motions of observing ancient traditions, though not really being firm believers in continued existence after death. But others are convinced that the dead need their help.

Millions of persons throughout most of Asia and parts of Africa believe that they must pay homage to dead ancestors all their life. Before the ancestral tablets of their deceased relatives, they burn incense, pray, place flowers and even offer food. It is thought that such veneration will help the dead to enjoy a pleasant existence in the next life and prevent them from becoming hostile spirits.

Especially in connection with mourning and the funeral do the survivors put forth costly efforts to help the deceased. Consider the following traditional practices that were carried out in the Orient upon the death of a prominent governmental adviser:

Buddhist priests handled the rites. Firecrackers were set off to chase away evil spirits. Rice paper containing prayers was burned, in the belief that this would benefit the spirit of the dead man. Food, drink and tobacco were placed near the corpse so that the spirit could refresh itself whenever it chose to do so.

Thereafter the body was placed in a casket, which remained in a room of the funeral home for forty-nine days. For six days the eldest son mourned there. On the seventh day he returned home to sleep, bathe and change clothes. The cycle of six days of mourning and one day of rest was then repeated for the full course of the forty-nine days. Practically without any break in the entire period, firecrackers were set off, while flutes, drums and crashing cymbals resounded around the clock.

The forty-ninth day witnessed the impressive funeral march. Bands played. Along the route firecrackers strung on telephone poles, lampposts and trees were set off. Food, drink and tobacco were put on the altar tables, and paper containing prayers, as well as joss sticks, was burned in the little shrines set up all along the route. Attractive floats of paper, gold leaf and bamboo added to the colorfulness of the funeral march. Many of the mourners carried lanterns, the purpose of such lanterns being to light the way for the spirit of the dead man. At the graveside the beautiful floats, representing palaces, airplanes, ships, armies, servants and other things, were burned.

In the case of persons having lesser means and prominence, similar procedures are followed but on a much smaller scale. For example, fewer and less elaborate paper items are burned.

Belief in a purgatory is the underlying basis for such burning of paper items. After a person’s death, the spirit is believed to wander in purgatory for two years, but needing help to enter heaven. The offerings made in the form of paper items are designed to show that the dead man lived a good life and has everything needed to function in the next world. This being the case, many Chinese believe, his spirit should be freed from purgatory sooner.

How do you react to such elaborate and costly ceremonies? Would you share in similar practices? If so, why?

If you believe that the dead need your help, what positive evidence do you have that something conscious survives the death of the body? What makes you sure that the means used to help the dead are effective? How, for example, could one prove that lanterns light the way for a spirit, that firecrackers chase away evil spirits and that burned paper items can help the spirit of the deceased to enter celestial bliss? What basis is there for claiming that such things are effective means for helping the spirits of the dead?

While religious ceremonies to help the dead may be quite different in your area, could anyone prove to your satisfaction that what is done brings beneficial results?

It is worth while, too, to consider how much justice and fairness are found in these efforts to help the dead. Those having great wealth naturally can buy far more firecrackers, paper items or other things supposed to aid the dead. What, then, of the poor person? Though he might have lived a good life, he would be at a disadvantage if no one did anything after his death. Also, the poor person who buys things to aid the dead labors under a great financial burden, while the rich person is only slightly affected.

How do you feel about such obvious partiality? Would you be drawn to a god that would favor the rich over the poor without consideration for what they are as persons? The God of the Bible shows no such partiality. Of him, the Holy Scriptures say: “There is no partiality with God.”​—Romans 2:11.

Now suppose a person realized that religious ceremonies in behalf of the dead were valueless, completely out of harmony with the will of the impartial God. Would it be reasonable for him to engage in them just for the sake of tradition and to avoid being different from his neighbors? Is it logical to support religious ceremonies that one considers to be a falsehood? Is it right to go along with something that favors the rich and puts a hardship on the poor?

CHRISTENDOM’S BELIEF IN PURGATORY

The belief that the dead need help to get out of purgatory is not limited to non-Christian religions. The New Catholic Encyclopedia states:

“The souls in purgatory can be helped by works of piety, such as prayer, indulgences, alms, fasting, and sacrifices. . . . While one cannot dictate that God apply the satisfactory value of his works to the poor souls, he may certainly hope that God will hear his petitions and help the members of the Church suffering.”

How strong a guarantee is offered that such efforts will bring benefit? The Encyclopedia continues:

“Because the application of these good works depends on one’s petition to God, there is no infallible assurance that one’s prayers help an individual soul in purgatory, or any one of them, here and now. But the mercy and love of God for the souls in purgatory, who are already so close to Him, surely prompt Him to speed their release from the period of purification when the faithful on earth direct their prayers to this purpose.”

Thus no genuine assurance is given that the things done in behalf of those believed to be in purgatory really accomplish something. And there is no basis for giving such assurance, for the Bible does not do so. It does not even contain the word “purgatory.” The New Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledges: “In the final analysis, the Catholic doctrine on purgatory is based on tradition, not Sacred Scripture.”​—Vol. 11, p. 1034.

Granted, tradition is not necessarily bad. But this particular tradition is out of harmony with God’s Word. The Scriptures do not teach that the “soul” survives the death of the body. Obviously, then, it cannot be subjected to a period of purification in purgatory. Hence, the words of Jesus Christ to the Jewish religious leaders could rightly be directed to those teaching the purgatory doctrine: “You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when he said, ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”​—Matthew 15:6-9.

Consider also the means for helping those in purgatory, in the light of what is taught in the Holy Scriptures. As noted in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, prayer is one of the works of piety that supposedly can help the souls in purgatory. Concerning such prayers, the booklet Assist the Souls in Purgatory (published by the Benedictine Convent of Perpetual Adoration) says:

“A short but fervent prayer is often of greater benefit to the poor souls than a prolonged form of devotion which is wanting in attention. Innumerable are the short ejaculatory prayers to which the Church has granted indulgences, all of which are applicable to the poor souls. . . . How easily we can multiply these little fiery darts of prayer during the day as we go from task to task, and even while our hands are busy with some occupation! . . . How many souls could we not relieve or release from purgatory if frequently during the day we offered this short indulgenced prayer of the Church for the departed: ‘Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.’ (Ind[ulgence] of 300 days each time. ‘Manual of Indulgences,’ 582.) If we repeat with fervent devotion the holy names of ‘Jesus, Mary, Joseph’ an indulgence of seven years may be gained each time.”

Does it not seem strange to you that the repetition of three names would be eight times as effective as a considerably longer, twenty-word prayer? Is repetition of a prayer over and over again what God approves? Concerning this, Jesus Christ said: “When praying, do not say the same things over and over again, just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. So, do not make yourselves like them.”​—Matthew 6:7, 8.

Rather than your saying memorized phrases over and over again, the Bible encourages heartfelt expressions in prayer.

Not to be overlooked is the role that money has had in relation to the purgatory doctrine. Of course, it might be argued that interest in gaining money for the church is not the reason for that teaching. But this does not change the fact that the religious organizations adhering to the purgatory doctrine are pleased to receive material offerings. No one is ever censured by the church for trying to buy his or someone else’s way out of purgatory. No one is ever advised by the church that it would be better for him to use his limited material assets for necessities of life. For centuries rich and poor alike have been filling the coffers of religious organizations in the hope of reducing the time they or their loved ones are in purgatory. Observes author Corliss Lamont, in his book The Illusion of Immortality:

“The religious ceremonies connected with the departed have meant untold wealth for the Church. Particularly has this been true in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox faiths where much stress is laid upon masses, prayers and other good offices on behalf of the dead, the dying and all those in any way concerned over their future state.

“Since the early Middle Ages the Catholic Church has obtained, through the granting of indulgences alone, huge sums from rich and poor alike. These indulgences, given in return for money payments, almsgiving or other kinds of offerings, provide that one’s own soul or the soul of a deceased relative or friend be spared all or part of its destined punishment in purgatory. . . . In Russia the Orthodox Church accumulated enormous wealth through similar intercessions on behalf of the dead. Besides the steady income from workers and peasants anxious to mitigate divine retribution, many members of the nobility and upper class endowed monasteries and churches on condition that daily prayers be said for their departed souls.”

If it were true that such material offerings did benefit the dead, this would mean that God is interested in money. But he does not need anyone’s money or material possessions. Speaking through the inspired psalmist, God declares: “I will not take out of your house a bull, out of your pens he-goats. For to me belongs every wild animal of the forest, the beasts upon a thousand mountains. I well know every winged creature of the mountains, and the animal throngs of the open field are with me. If I were hungry, I would not say it to you; for to me the productive land and its fullness belong.”​—Psalm 50:9-12.

Really, all the riches in the world cannot help a dead man. Money and material possessions cannot even save him from dying. As the Bible says: “Those who are trusting in their means of maintenance, and who keep boasting about the abundance of their riches, not one of them can by any means redeem even a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him; (and the redemption price of their soul is so precious that it has ceased to time indefinite) that he should still live forever and not see the pit.”​—Psalm 49:6-9.

There can be no question that efforts to help the dead are unscriptural. The teaching that the dead can be aided by the living has only put a heavy burden on people. Knowledge of God’s Word, however, frees one from this false idea. This can provide for us real incentive to do our best while our family members are still alive to make them feel that they are needed, loved and appreciated. After their death it is too late for anyone to make up for neglected acts of kindness and consideration.

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Taoist rites, said to release a soul from purgatory

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Catholic rites, said to aid souls in purgatory

Chapter 8

Should You Fear the Dead?

NOT everyone views the dead as the ones who are in need of help. Even more widespread is the belief that the living are the ones who need help​—to safeguard them from the dead. At night, cemeteries are often avoided. Strangely, even relatives and friends who were loved while living, after death may come to be viewed as a source of dread and terror.

Among the Indians inhabiting the hills of Central Chiapas, Mexico, red pepper is burned on the day of the burial. This is done in the hope that the unpleasant smoke will drive the soul of the deceased out of the house.

In some parts of Europe, people quickly open all doors and windows as soon as a death occurs. This is done with a view to “liberating” the soul. So that no spell might be cast on anyone, a member of the family places the dead man’s hands over his heart and closes the man’s eyes with coins.

When a Buddhist of Mongolia dies in a tent, his body is not taken out through the regular opening. Another opening may be made in the tent and, when the body is removed, this opening is closed. Or a masking of straw may be placed in front of the regular door. After the body is carried out, the masking of straw is burned. The purpose of such action is to prevent the spirit of the dead man from coming back into the dwelling and harming the living.

In many parts of Africa, when sickness strikes a family, when a child dies, when a business fails or any other kind of misfortune occurs, a man will quickly consult a juju priest. Usually the priest tells him that a dead family member has been offended. The oracle is consulted and sacrifices are prescribed. The priest charges much money for this and also gets the meat of whatever animal is offered in sacrifice.

Should humans be in such fear of the dead, even going to considerable expense to protect themselves?

The Bible says of the dead: “Their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:6) So there is no harm that can come to you from the dead. And no one can disprove this Bible statement.

True, people may attribute certain manifestations to the spirits of the dead. They may claim that they gained relief from sickness, economic reverses and the like after the spirits of the dead were pacified. But might there not be another source for such trouble and apparent relief from adversity?

Is it not strange that people are unaware of having offended a dead relative until their consulting a juju priest or someone occupying a comparable position? And why should it be that the “spirit” of a dead father, mother, son or daughter would threaten the happiness and welfare of those who, in the past, were deeply loved? What would cause the “spirit” of a dead man to be vengeful when that was not a trait of the man when alive? Since what is attributed to the deceased is often so contrary to that one’s personality when alive, would this not lend strong support to the conclusion that the “spirits” of the dead are not involved? Most assuredly. The Bible is indeed right when it says that the dead have ‘no portion in anything that is to be done under the sun.’

Consider also the damaging effect that fear of the dead has on the living. Many have been brought into slavery to juju priests or other religious leaders who claim that the fortunes or misfortunes of a man or woman are largely controlled by the “spirits” of the dead. These men have set themselves up as the ones who can rectify matters with the offended dead. Believing their claims, many people have spent much money on costly ceremonies, money that they might otherwise have used for needed things of life. Even though some maintain that they definitely have been helped through such ceremonies, has their experience produced within them real joy in having had the privilege of doing something to heal a breach with a dead loved one? Rather, do they not act much like a person from whom something has been extorted?

Then, too, think of the deceptive methods that are frequently employed​—burning red pepper, taking the deceased through another tent opening and the like—​to prevent the “spirit” of the dead from returning and disturbing the living. Would you want to be deceived in this way during your lifetime? Is it reasonable for a person to try to deceive dead persons whom he would never have wanted to deceive while they were alive?

The very practice of resorting to deception can also have an unwholesome effect on a person. Once a person approves of deceiving the dead whom he views as continuing in conscious existence, will he not weaken his conscience to the point of attempting to deceive the living when that appears to be advantageous?

The One who identifies himself in the Bible as the true God could never approve of the practices that have come about because of people’s fear of the dead. Why not? Because those practices, in addition to being based on a false idea, are completely out of harmony with His personality, ways and dealings. “God is not a man that he should tell lies.” (Numbers 23:19) He does not approve of deception resorted to for selfish gain. The Bible says: “A man of . . . deception Jehovah detests.”​—Psalm 5:6.

Since the Bible reveals that the dead are unconscious, why should you fear them? (Psalm 146:4) They can neither help you nor harm you. You now know from the Bible that the “soul” dies and that the “spirit” has no conscious existence apart from the body. Whatever manifestations have given rise to fear of the dead must therefore be from another source. Since in some cases persons claim to gain some improvement in their problems as a result of engaging in acts of appeasement for the dead, this source would have to be one that is willing to bring such temporary relief, but for a wrong motive. What is its aim? To keep people in bondage and blinded to the way to a life free from fear and dread.

It is important to identify this source.

[Picture on page 71]

Fear of the dead moves many to consult juju priests

Chapter 9

Can You Talk with the Dead?

IN LIFE, we humans keenly sense a need to talk with those whom we love. We want to know that our loved ones are well and happy. When things go well for them, we are encouraged. But when we learn that they face grave danger due to a “natural” disaster or some other calamity, we begin to worry. We anxiously wait to hear from them. As soon as we have word that they are safe we are relieved.

The desire to know about the welfare of loved ones has prompted many to want to talk with the dead. They want to know whether their deceased loved ones are happy ‘in the beyond.’ But is it possible to talk with the dead?

Some maintain that they have periodically felt the presence of a deceased relative or friend and have heard his voice. Others have had like experiences with the help of spirit mediums. Through these mediums they believe that they have heard voices from ‘the beyond.’ What are they told by such voices? Basically this: ‘The dead are very happy and contented. They continue to take a real interest in the life of their surviving loved ones and can see and hear everything they do.’

Regarding such messages, François Grégoire, in his book L’au-delà (The Hereafter), observes: “What do these Spirits have to say to us? ‘Above all, they appear to be anxious to prove their identity and that they still exist’ . . . but on the nature of the other world, nothing essential, not even the smallest revelation.”

What do you think about these messages? Do you believe that the dead are actually talking? Since, as the Bible shows, no soul or spirit survives the death of the body to continue conscious existence, could these voices really be the voices of the dead?

THE CASE OF KING SAUL

Some among those believing that the dead can give messages to the living point to the Holy Bible as confirming their view. One example they cite is an incident involving King Saul of ancient Israel.

Because of his unfaithfulness to Jehovah God, King Saul was cut off from divine direction for carrying out his responsibilities. Therefore, when the Philistines came to wage war against him, in desperation he sought help from a spirit medium. He asked her to bring up the dead prophet Samuel. As to what happened thereafter, the Bible relates:

“When the woman [the medium] saw ‘Samuel’ she began crying out at the top of her voice; and the woman went on to say to Saul: ‘Why did you trick me, when you yourself are Saul?’ But the king said to her: ‘Do not be afraid, but what did you see?’ And the woman went on to say to Saul: ‘A god I saw coming up out of the earth.’ At once he said to her: ‘What is his form?’ to which she said: ‘It is an old man coming up, and he has himself covered with a sleeveless coat.’ At that Saul recognized that it was ‘Samuel,’ and he proceeded to bow low with his face to the earth and to prostrate himself. And ‘Samuel’ began to say to Saul: ‘Why have you disturbed me by having me brought up?’”​—1 Samuel 28:12-15.

Was Saul, in this case, actually brought in touch with the dead prophet Samuel? How could this be, for the Bible links silence, not talking, with death? We read: “The dead themselves do not praise Jah [Jehovah], nor do any going down into silence.”​—Psalm 115:17.

Other passages of the Holy Scriptures shed light on the matter. First, it is clear that what Saul did in consulting a spirit medium was a violation of God’s law. Both spirit mediums and those consulting them were judged guilty of a capital offense. (Leviticus 20:6, 27) God’s law to Israel stated: “Do not turn yourselves to the spirit mediums, and do not consult professional foretellers of events, so as to become unclean by them.” (Leviticus 19:31) “When you are entered into the land that Jehovah your God is giving you, you must not learn to do according to the detestable things of those nations. There should not be found in you . . . anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead.”​—Deuteronomy 18:9-11; Isaiah 8:19, 20.

If spirit mediums could actually get in touch with the dead, why, then, did God’s law label their practice as something “unclean,” “detestable” and deserving of death? If the communication were with dead loved ones, for example, why would a God of love designate this as a terrible crime? Why would he want to deprive the living of getting some comforting messages from the dead? Does not God’s view indicate that people are not really talking to the dead but that a terrible deception must be involved? Scriptural evidence shows that is the case.

Against this background, consider the case of Saul. Regarding divine communication with him, Saul acknowledged: “God himself has departed from me and has answered me no more, either by means of the prophets or by dreams; so that I am calling you [Samuel] to let me know what I shall do.” (1 Samuel 28:15) Obviously, God would not allow a spirit medium to get around this divine cutoff of communication by getting in touch with a dead prophet and having him deliver a message from God to Saul. Then, too, during the latter part of his life, Samuel himself, a faithful prophet of God, had ceased to have any dealings whatsoever with Saul. Would it not be unreasonable, therefore, to conclude that Samuel was willing to speak with Saul by means of a spirit medium, an arrangement that was condemned by God?

Manifestly, there must have been deception involved, something so unclean that spirit mediums and those consulting them merited the death sentence. That same deception must be behind claimed communication with the dead today.

Indicating this is the fact that, under the influence of supposed “voices” from the beyond, many persons have committed suicide. They have given up their most precious possession​—life—​in an effort to join dead loved ones. Others have begun to dread such voices, as the messages have been gloomy, telling of some terrible accident or death about to occur. How could such voices possibly come from a good source? Who or what might be behind these voices?

[Picture on page 77]

Who was it that spoke to Saul by means of the spirit medium at En-dor?

Chapter 10

Could It Be a Masterful Deception?

OVER the centuries humans have witnessed the strangest of happenings. Rocks, water glasses and the like have been seen sailing through the air as if moved by invisible hands. Voices, rappings and other noises have been heard even though there was no apparent source or cause for them. Shadowy figures have appeared and then quickly disappeared. At times such happenings have been so well attested to that there is little room for doubt.

Many people consider manifestations of this kind to be evidence that death does not end conscious existence. Some believe that departed spirits are trying in some way to get the attention of the living and to communicate with them.

But one might ask: If these are truly deceased loved ones who are trying to get in touch with the living, why do their manifestations generally frighten observers? What, really, is behind such things?

The Bible clearly shows that death ends all conscious existence. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) Hence, there must be other forces responsible for things that are often attributed to the spirits of the dead. What might those forces be? Could they be intelligent? If so, could they be guilty of perpetrating a masterful deception on humankind?

Surely we do not want to be deceived. To be deceived would mean loss to us and, perhaps, cause us even to come into a position of grave danger. That is why we have good reason to examine the available evidence, reasoning on it, to be sure that we have not fallen victim to a masterful deception. We should be willing to go back as far as possible in human history in an effort to get at the truth of the matter.

The Bible enables us to do that. It takes us back to the time when the first human pair came into existence. In the third chapter of Genesis the Bible relates a conversation that may sound unbelievable to many today. Yet it is not fiction. This conversation provides a clue as to whether a masterful deceiver is at work in human affairs.

THE START OF DECEPTION

One day, while not in the company of her husband, the first woman, Eve, heard a voice. From all appearances it was the voice of a serpent. Regarding the conversation, the Bible reports:

“Now the serpent proved to be the most cautious of all the wild beasts of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it began to say to the woman: ‘Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?’ At this the woman said to the serpent: ‘Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. But as for eating of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, “You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it that you do not die.”’ At this the serpent said to the woman: ‘You positively will not die. For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.’ Consequently the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed for to the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon.”​—Genesis 3:1-6.

The message transmitted by the serpent was a lie. That lie was the first one on record. Accordingly, its source must be the originator or father of lies. Since the lie led to death-dealing consequences, the liar was also a murderer. Obviously this liar was not the literal serpent, a creature that is not endowed with the power of speech. But there must have been someone behind the serpent, someone who, by what might be called ventriloquism, made it appear that the serpent was talking. That should not seem so strange to us in this twentieth century when a cone in the speaker of a radio or a television set can be made to vibrate in such a way as to reproduce the human voice. But who was the speaker behind the serpent?

AN INVISIBLE DECEIVER

He is identified by Jesus Christ, who himself had come from the heavens and knew what went on in the invisible realm. (John 3:13; 8:58) When certain religious leaders were seeking to kill him, Jesus said to them: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.”​—John 8:44.

Being a liar and a manslayer, the Devil is obviously someone who possesses intelligence. This gives rise to the question, How did he come into existence?

The Bible reveals that even before the earth came to be, invisible, spirit persons were enjoying life. Job 38:7 speaks of these spirit persons, “sons of God,” as “shouting in applause” when the earth was created. As “sons of God,” they received their life from him.​—Psalm 90:2.

Hence, the one who deceived Eve by means of the serpent must have been one of these spirit sons, one of God’s intelligent creatures. In contradicting God’s warning about the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, this one slandered his Creator, making God appear to be a liar. He is therefore rightly called the “Devil,” as that word is drawn from the Greek term di·aʹbo·los, meaning “false accuser, misrepresenter, slanderer.” By his course of action this creature set himself in resistance to God and thereby made himself Satan (Hebrew, sa·tanʹ; Greek, sa·ta·nasʹ), which means “resister.”

Jehovah God cannot be blamed for what this creature did. “Perfect is his activity,” says the Bible concerning God, “for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4) He created his intelligent sons, spirit and human, with the capacity of free will. He did not force them to serve him but wanted them to do so willingly, out of love. He endowed them with the capacity to develop ever greater love for him as their God and Father.

The spirit creature who made himself a resister and a slanderer of God, however, did not choose to perfect his love for his Creator. He allowed selfish ambitions to take root in his heart. (Compare 1 Timothy 3:6.) This is reflected in the conduct of the “king of Tyre” over whom a dirge was rendered in the prophecy of Ezekiel. In the dirge, it is said to the king of Tyre who turned traitor to the kingdom of Israel:

“You are sealing up a pattern, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. In Eden, the garden of God, you proved to be. . . . You are the anointed cherub that is covering, and I have set you. On the holy mountain of God you proved to be. In the midst of fiery stones you walked about. You were faultless in your ways from the day of your being created until unrighteousness was found in you. . . . Your heart became haughty because of your beauty. You brought your wisdom to ruin on account of your beaming splendor.”​—Ezekiel 28:12-17.

The rebellious spirit son of God, similar to the traitorous “king of Tyre,” thought too highly of himself. Pride caused him to want to control the human race, and he sought to gain his ends through deception. To this day the majority of humankind are still victims of this deception. By refusing to do God’s will as set forth in his Word, the Bible, they actually align themselves with Satan. In so doing, they accept the same lie that Eve did, namely, that choosing to act contrary to God’s will can bring real gain.

Since God’s Word condemns communication with the dead, those who try to speak with the dead put themselves on Satan’s side. While they may think that they are talking with the dead, they have become the victims of a hoax. Just as Satan made it appear to Eve that a serpent was talking, so he can just as easily make it appear that the dead are talking through mediums. Does this mean that Satan is directly responsible for all the strange phenomena that are often attributed to the spirits of the dead? Or, are others also involved?

OTHER INVISIBLE DECEIVERS

The Bible reveals that Satan is not the only rebellious spirit creature. Revelation 12:3, 4, 9 shows that there are others. In this Scripture passage Satan the Devil is symbolically depicted as a “great fiery-colored dragon” having a “tail” that “drags a third of the stars of heaven.” Yes, Satan was able to use his influence, like a tail, to get other “stars,” spirit sons of God, to join him in a rebellious course. (Compare Job 38:7, where spirit sons of God are called “morning stars.”) This happened before the global deluge in the days of Noah. Numerous angels, contrary to God’s purpose, “forsook their own proper dwelling place” in the heavens, materialized human bodies, lived as husbands with women and fathered hybrid offspring known as Nephilim. Of this, we are told:

“Now it came about that when men started to grow in numbers on the surface of the ground and daughters were born to them, then the sons of the true God began to notice the daughters of men, that they were good-looking; and they went taking wives for themselves, namely, all whom they chose. . . . The Nephilim proved to be in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of the true God continued to have relations with the daughters of men and they bore sons to them, they were the mighty ones who were of old, the men of fame.”​—Genesis 6:1-4.

During the Flood these sons of God lost their wives and their hybrid offspring. They themselves had to dematerialize. Respecting what happened to them thereafter, the Bible reports: “God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.” (2 Peter 2:4) And at Jude 6 it adds: “The angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.”

As these descriptions relate to spirit creatures, it is evident that the “pits of dense darkness” and “eternal bonds” are not literal. These expressions simply convey to us a picture of restraint, a condition of debasement separated from all divine enlightenment.

There is no Scriptural basis for concluding that these disobedient angels are in a place like the mythological Tartarus of Homer’s Iliad, that is, in the lowest prison where Cronus and the other Titan spirits were said to be confined. The apostle Peter did not believe in any such mythological gods. So there is no reason to conclude that his use of the Greek expression ‘throwing into Tartarus’ even hinted at the existence of the mythological place referred to by Homer some nine centuries earlier. In fact, in Greek the expression ‘throwing into Tartarus’ is only one word, a verb, tar·ta·roʹo. It is also used to mean debasing to the lowest degree.

To illustrate, the English word “debase” contains the noun “base.” Yet our use of the word does not mean that a literal base in some geographical location is involved in the act of debasement. Likewise the Greek verb rendered ‘throwing into Tartarus’ need not be viewed as suggesting the existence of an actual place, but as suggesting a condition.

At 1 Peter 3:19, 20 the debased spirit creatures are referred to as “spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient when the patience of God was waiting in Noah’s days, while the ark was being constructed.” Thus the Bible makes it plain that after the Flood the “angels that sinned” came under a form of restraint. There is no Biblical indication that they were able to materialize and take up visible activity on earth after the Flood. So it logically follows that the restraint under which they came made it impossible for them to take on flesh again.

BEWARE OF DEMON INFLUENCE

It should be noted, however, that the disobedient angels, who now came to be known as demons, had a strong desire to be in close association with humans. They were willing to abandon their heavenly position for the pleasure of living as husbands with women. Scriptural evidence shows that, though restrained from such physical contact now, they have not changed their desires. They seek every means open to them to be in touch with humans and even to control them. Jesus Christ referred to this, using figurative speech in saying:

“When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through parched places in search of a resting-place, and finds none. Then it says, ‘I will go back to my house out of which I moved’; and on arriving it finds it unoccupied but swept clean and adorned. Then it goes its way and takes along with it seven different spirits more wicked than itself, and, after getting inside, they dwell there; and the final circumstances of that man become worse than the first.”​—Matthew 12:43-45.

It is vital therefore to be on guard lest a person yield himself to demon influence. He may be very uncertain about himself and his future. He may desperately want some assurance that things will go well for him. Or he may find a certain fascination in the weird and frightening manifestations of occult practices. He may hear about someone who reportedly can accurately predict the future. Or he may learn about the various means of divination used​—Ouija boards, ESP (extrasensory perception), patterns of tea leaves in cups, oil configurations on water, divining rods, pendulums, the position and movement of stars and planets (astrology), the howling of dogs, the flight of birds, the movement of snakes, crystal-ball gazing and the like. His situation may appear so desperate or his fascination be so great that he may decide to consult a fortune-teller or a medium or to resort to some form of divination. He might be willing to try anything just once.

Is that wise? Definitely not. His curiosity can lead to his coming under demon control. Rather than such a course’s bringing him relief and comfort, his situation may only worsen. Supernatural disturbances may rob him of sleep and fill even daylight hours with dread. He may begin to hear strange voices, suggesting that he kill himself or someone else.

Is it not wise therefore to avoid such a risk and to shun all forms of divination? Jehovah God does not view this matter lightly. To protect the Israelites from being deceived and harmed by wicked spirits, he made the practice of divination a capital offense, saying in the Law: “As for a man or woman in whom there proves to be a mediumistic spirit or spirit of prediction, they should be put to death without fail.”​—Leviticus 20:27.

God’s view of spirit mediums, sorcerers and divination has not changed. A divine decree still stands against all practicers of spiritism.​—Revelation 21:8.

Therefore exert yourself to resist being deceived by wicked spirit creatures. Should you ever hear a strange voice, perhaps suggesting that it is that of a deceased friend or relative, do not pay any attention. Call upon the name of the true God, Jehovah, to help you to resist coming under demon influence. As God’s own Son advised, make your prayerful petition: ‘Deliver me from the wicked one.’ (Matthew 6:13) As to items associated with divination, imitate the example of those who accepted true worship in ancient Ephesus. “Quite a number of those who practiced magical arts [there] brought their books together and burned them up before everybody.” Expensive as these items were, they did not hold back from destroying them.​—Acts 19:19.

In view of this example, do you think that it would be right to associate deliberately with those known to dabble in the occult and to accept gifts from them? Might they not become the instrumentalities by means of which you could come under demon influence?

Our recognizing that wicked spirits are often responsible for causing people to see or hear weird and frightening manifestations​—voices, rappings and shadowy figures for which there are no apparent causes—​is a major factor in safeguarding us from being deceived. This knowledge will free us from fearing the dead and from engaging in valueless rites in their behalf. It will also help to prevent our being victimized by wicked spirits.

But if we are to be protected from every aspect of the deception that Satan and his demons have perpetrated in connection with the dead, we must believe and act in harmony with the entire Bible. This is because all of it is the inspired Word of God.