NECROMANCY
Humanity gave Satan dominion over the Earth when our Forefathers, Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. Since then, the devil has begun his massacre on the human race and continues to oppress us. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Pet 5:8 (KJV)
The devil knows that his time is short and his ultimate destination is the lake of fire. He aims to destroy lives and condemn them to eternal destruction. Hence, when we go out and spread the word, he and his forces rise up against us and they fight us with all their might, even going as far as to put our friends/relatives against us, cast sickness upon us, try to destroy our family lives or even try to kill us. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Matt 24:9 (KJV)
Section 2.0:
Necromancy Part A:
There is no doubt that within recent years, witchcraft, black magic and the dark arts have increased in popularity. Today, television shows promote and glamorize many of these practices and make them appear “cool” and popular. Demonic influence is on the rise and the Bible states that towards the end of time, many people will fall prey to these “seducing spirits” who speak lies
(1 Timothy 4:1-2). Unfortunately, we live in a time where people are easily offended and they will quickly walk away or dismiss someone who speaks words that chastise their actions.
They gravitate towards doctrines that make them feel good about themselves (2 Timothy 4:2-3) Necromancy is the act of communicating with the dead, and people often do this in an attempt to learn about future events.
Many also dabble in this to gain knowledge about themselves or others with the impression that there is possibly hidden knowledge beyond the grave. Are we actually in communication with the dead? Are ghosts real? If not, who are we talking to? The Old Testament records a story of a King named Saul who was anointed to be king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:1). Saul was instructed by God to destroy the Amalekites and in the process, he was warned that he should slay all and leave none (1 Samuel 15:3).
Saul was disobedient after defeating the Amalekites, he brought back their King, Agag along with the best sheep and oxen (1 Samuel 15:9,15). God was displeased by Saul’s disobedience (1 Samuel 15:10-11) and consequently, another would be anointed king of Israel (1 Samuel 16) The Philistines had come to wage war against the Israelites and Saul was terrified because the army of the Philistines was enormous. Moreover, when Saul enquired of the Lord, he was left unanswered (1 Samuel 28:5-6).
Ultimately, disguised, he decided to seek out a medium. The prophet Samuel had already died and at that time, people who practiced witchcraft were removed (1 Samuel 28:5). The Medium brought up something that Saul perceived to be the Samuel. After a brief dialogue, Saul was overcome by fear because he was told that him and his sons would die the next day in battle (1 Samuel 28: 16-20). Interesting, according to what he was told, Saul and his sons were killed in battle (1 Samuel 31:1-6).
However, the medium did not bring up the spirit of Samuel, but a demon. Demons are all around and they see and hear things that we do on a daily basis. In Mark 1:23-25, Jesus encountered a man with an unclean spirit. The demon told Jesus that he knows who he is.
The devil has a plan for our life and if we don’t allow the plan of the Lord to guide our life’s choices, the plan of the devil will lead to our demise! We believe that demons do not have the power to make accurate predictions about our future but make estimations based on observation of the person’s life and routine. Demons can also transform into angels of light (2 Cor 11:14-15) and they use this to deceive many people into falling prey to their lies.
Part B: The Mediums In our society today, necromancy is heavily marketed to the adolescent and young adult population - in fact, if you walk through the board game aisle of a toy store, you might be lucky to spot a Ouija board sitting on the shelf. This board game dates back to the 1800’s, where it gained popularity."Ouija" was formerly a trademark belonging to Parker Brothers, and subsequently became a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. in the United States. However, it is often used generically to refer to any “talking board.” This mysterious board game comes with with the letters of the alphabet arrayed in two semi-circles above the numbers 0 through 9; the words “yes” and “no” in the uppermost corners, “goodbye” at the bottom; accompanied by a “planchette,” (teardrop-shaped device, usually with a small window in the body, used to maneuver about the board).
According to Hasbro, players take turns asking questions and then "wait to see what the planchette spells out" for them. Spiritualists claimed that the dead were able to contact the living and reportedly used a talking board very similar to a modern ouija board at their camps in Ohio in 1886 to ostensibly enable faster communication with spirits.
In more recent times, a variation of this game popped up and again targeted the adolescent and young adult populations. This game entails placing two pencils on a piece of paper in the shape of the cross with the words 'yes' and 'no'. Participants then repeat the phrase "Charlie, Charlie can we play?" in order to connect with the demon. If Charlie is there the pencils will move to indicate his answer. Even though this became popular in 2015, its origin dates back much before this time.
It was a traditional Mexican ritual wherein players (usually children) were said to contact the spirit of a child named Charlie. No matter what medium is used to attempt to contact the dead, this is forbidden by the Bible. The Bible makes it clear in several scriptures that death is a sleep (John 11:11-15) and people are in their graves awaiting the arrival of the 2nd Coming of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55). The Bible states that the dead do not return to their house (Job 7:9-10) and they cannot work, have no knowledge, wisdom and emotions (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6,10) So then, if we are not communicating with out past loved ones, whom are we then speaking to? The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44) and his fallen angels pose as our dear loved ones.
Dearly beloved, only the Lord holds the answers to our future, the devil does not have the answers. Let us look to Jesus to order our steps and guide our future.
Prayer for the dead Many Cultures today participate in prayer on behalf of the dead. In Catholicism, this is an integral part of the Church’s Funeral Liturgy. According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia, this practice stems from the second book of Maccabees. This concept is even seen in Hinduism where the prayers performed at the funeral facilitate the smooth transition of the soul into another realm. In fact, even after the funeral, prayers for the deceased continues. Additionally, in Islam, a prayer is called Salat al-Janazah is recited and this seeks pardon for the deceased.
In Mexican culture, there is an entire holiday dedicated to honoring the dead through offerings of food and drink, flowers and prayers. Since this is a common thread that runs through many cultures and religions, what is the significance of this? Does it help the living family members to feel better? Can praying for the dead actually alter their destination and guide them into Paradise or is it a waste of time?
According to the Bible, every man is rewarded according to his works (Revelation 22:12; Romans 2:6). Every person on this planet will ultimately have a choice before The Second Coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:14) and those who reject the gospel will ultimately face the wrath of God (Romans 2:8-9). Therefore, after someone is dead, our prayers are futile, for it is their choice (Joshua 24:15) which will determine whether they make it to Heaven or if they are ultimately damned (2 Thessalonians 2:12). Let us remember to pray for our family, relatives and friends while they are alive. Shower them with love and blessings while they are still here because when they are gone, they can’t hear you nor can they participate in the offerings that you give to them (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6)