Have you seen the show "Ghost Hunters" on the Sci-Fi channel? This is a reality show where, a group of paranormal investigators led by Jason Hawes search out popular haunt sights to prove the existence of ghosts. Yes, I said . . . GHOSTS . . . Really! I have not watched a full episode because of my beliefs, but I have stopped on the channel during a show just out of curiosity and my first thought was how much of this show is "produced" or in other words, being made up for entertainment purposes only?
Before I go any deeper into this subject, let me clarify where I stand on this. I am a Christian and a follower of Christ Jesus. I am not a Bible scholar but I have read enough and know of scripture that clearly speaks out on this topic. So, what does the Bible say about ghosts or hauntings? Here are some Bible truths that relate to hauntings and visits by the spirits of dead people. There are only a few incidents that deal with the living having contact with a "dead" person.
a) In 1 Samuel 28:7-19, King Saul seeks a woman with a familiar spirit (demon) to inquire of Samuel about what to do. That she actually manages to communicate with the dead shocks her (v. 12) indicating to me that it did not previously happen.
b) In Matthew 17:1-8, Peter, James and John see Moses and Elijah with Jesus for a brief period of time.
c) In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. In this story we learn of there being two compartments for the dead until the Great White Throne Judgment. Also in the story the rich man asks for Lazarus to be sent back to warn the living. Moses says it would do not good because if they will not believe God's written word, they will not believe though one should rise from the dead.
From the above three passages of Scripture, I would conclude that there are compartments in which the spirits of the dead dwell for now and that while there are a few instances in which God allowed interaction between the living and the dead, those situations were very rare and not nearly as common as contact between people and angelic beings.
Most importantly, Luke 16:27-31 indicates that no human spirits are allowed to return to visit the living without permission, and if permission is not granted for the purpose of warning people to flee from the wrath to come, it would not be given for trifling reasons.
I recently entered the question "Is there such a thing as ghosts" on an internet search engine and here is the answer that I was given by one of the websites:
The answer to this question depends on what precisely is meant by the term “ghosts.” If the term means “spirit beings,” the answer is a qualified “yes.” If the term means “spirits of people who have died,” the answer is “no.” The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are spirit beings, both good and evil. But the Bible negates the idea that the spirits of deceased human beings can remain on earth and “haunt” the living.
Hebrews 9:27 declares, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” That is what happens to a person’s soul-spirit after death—judgment. The result of this judgment is heaven for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23) and hell for the unbeliever (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:22-24). There is no in-between. There is no possibility of remaining on earth in spirit form as a “ghost.” If there are such things as ghosts, according to the Bible, they absolutely cannot be the disembodied spirits of deceased human beings.
The Bible teaches very clearly that there are indeed spirit beings who can connect with and appear in our physical world. The Bible identifies these beings as angels and demons. Angels are spirit beings who are faithful in serving God. Angels are righteous, good, and holy. Demons are fallen angels, angels who rebelled against God. Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light” and as “servants of righteousness.” Appearing as a “ghost” and impersonating a deceased human being definitely seem to be within the power and abilities that demons possess.
So, back to my original question: How much of this show "Ghost Hunters" is produced? How much of it is made up for entertainment purposes? What are the risks of this type of entertainment? It may seem like a harmless t.v. show, but what these guys are going after is not something that should be messed with. Sadly enough, interest in the paranormal has become increasingly popular. Having a reality show that headlines in this category makes it seem normal to have hauntings or paranormal activity. Quija boards, psychics, séances, and tarot cards are also considered normal these days. These are all mediums used to invite the involvement of demons into one's life. Is this the type of "entertainment" that we should be participating in? NO, rather we are to be consumed by the word of God (Psalm 119), with knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8-10), serving Him as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2), and seeking to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20, etc.). The only freedom that the lost can have from sin and the devil is through that found in Christ alone (John 8:32-36; Romans 6:16-23; Ephesians 2:1-10). It is His gospel that we need to concentrate on sharing with others. That gospel is the power of God for deliverance from sin and Satan (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18).
That's my thoughts on ghosts . . .
Peace!
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