At dinner we were talking about the “lady in blue” that they say lives in down town. She is a “ghost” from the 1800’s and quite a few people and reporters have seen her after dark. A few years ago they were in the Liberty Theater hoping for an encounter with her. One of the reporters said he forgot his pen and asked his partner for one and suddenly a pen just materialized out of the air in his hand.
So we were speculating about ghosts tonight and I posed a question. “Do you think these are really the souls of departed dead that come back?”
My daughter had a profound answer. She said she thinks they are demons. Her reason? She said, “Why would people who have gone to heaven come back like that to scare people and cause a stir? There would be no point in that. And those who have died and gone to hell can’t get out of hell to come back…once you are there you are stuck. So all that leaves is angels and demons. Angels have better things to do with their time than to just run around appearing to people for no reason like that. So all it leaves you is demons.”
You know what? I think she is right. The Bible does indicate that once a person’s soul goes to Hell, there is no coming back. So we know it’s not the souls of the departed who have gone to Hell. See verse 26 below.
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
And like she said, logic would tell us it isn’t angels or the souls of those who have gone to heaven…what would be the point in them appearing to people at random, scaring them to death and disappearing again. There is no purpose to that. So it only leaves one option. Now that is kind of creepy as my son would say.
2 comments:
sounds like a fun discussion, and interesting. Your daughter's thinking seems pretty sound.
I'll share a couple of verses, perhaps to mix it up a bit.
I Samuel 28:11,12a "Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up
Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice..."
Scripture indicates in this passage that Samuel "came back" from the dead. Do you agree?
And here's another thought provoking verse for me. Hebrews 13:2 "Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares".
Interesting? I'd better watch my manners with strangers.
I do believe that the woman brought back Samuel...or maybe I should say, God brought him back. The woman was shocked that Samuel came back, which tells me that she wasn't expecting him. She was probably expecting a demon impersonating Samuel.
Yes, the entertaining strangers unaware verse is a thought-provoking one indeed.
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