Religious Teachings about Negative Entities, Mediums, and the Afterlife

This explanation is given for Christians who have concerns about what the church says about mediums and the afterlife. Some in the church hold that any contact with those on the next plane of life must be demonic. Mediums, they assert, speak with demons, and speaking to mediums is forbidden by Biblical mandates. They believe the deceased are in a sort of “cold storage” until the second coming and are not accessible. In cold storage, they are without life until the judgment day, when those who swore allegiance to Yeshua (Jesus) will be resurrected into physical bodies and live in a heaven on earth; those who did not swear allegiance to Yeshua will be thrown into the fiery pit of hell.

This explanation shows why those assertions simply aren’t true. It refers to Yeshua by the name his followers called him in the first century: Yeshua (or Yahushua). “Jesus” is a mistaken transliteration from Aramaic (Yeshua or Yahushua) to Greek (Iesu) to Latin (Iesus) to modern English (Jesus). The letter “j” wasn’t even in the English language until the sixteenth century.

The connections are not through mediums

Most importantly, these connections are not through mediums. They are direct connections by someone with a loved one on the next plane of life. Nothing in any religion’s scriptures suggests people should not communicate with their loved ones in spirit on their own, without a medium. However, the rest of this paper explains why even the suggestion that people shouldn’t speak to their loved ones through mediums is not relevant.

Yeshua (Jesus) and the Afterlife

These teachings the church asserts did not come from Yeshua.

At no time did Yeshua say that people who passed out of this life would go into cold storage until a resurrection. It would be remarkable that such an important detail would not have been presented by Yeshua during his teaching if it were true. Where is the cold storage and what are people’s conditions there? The gospels have no mention of them. When Yeshua referred to the daughter of Jairus as “only sleeping,” he meant she was not dead, just asleep. He refers to Lazarus as have “fallen asleep,” but again suggesting he was not dead.
At no time did Yeshua speak of a far-distant heaven at all. He said the Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of Heaven) is here; it is within us. The idea of a heaven distant in time, a purgatory, and limbos were entirely created by the church.
At no time did Yeshua say people weren’t living on another plane of life immediately after passing away.
At no time did Yeshua say people should not communicate with their deceased loved ones on the next plane of life. He never mentions mediums, even once.
At no time did Yeshua say that if people spoke to loved ones who had passed away, it was really demons speaking.

Where did these ideas come from, then? They were entirely the fabrications of the church after 30 CE. Allowing ordinary people to commune with their loved ones who had passed away, without the intercession of the church, would have given ordinary people direct access to the afterlife and to God. That would have diminished the church’s control, and of course, the church would have none of that. And so, the church demonized contact with those in the next plane of life because they weren’t the ones administering it.

However, we do have evidence that Yeshua knew there is an afterlife into which people go immediately after passing away:

1. While on the cross, one account has Yeshua saying to the thief beside him that the thief would be with him that day in paradise. There was to be no delay for the thief or Yeshua; they would be together in paradise the moment they passed away.
2. Another account has a description of Yeshua taking Peter, John, and James with him to a mountain to pray. There, two men appeared, “in glorious splendor,” and talked with Yeshua. The three disciples recognized the two men as Moses and Elijah. In other words, Moses and Elijah had etheric (“glorified”) bodies and were very much alive, not in cold storage, and Yeshua spoke to them, undoubtedly listening to their wisdom and counsel. At the time, Moses’ body had been disintegrating where he died (on the mountain overlooking the promised land) for 1,200 years, and Elijah’s was moldering in the ground for 800 years, so they weren’t appearing in those piles of dry bones and dust.Yeshua promised that his disciples and we would be able to do all the things he did and greater things (John 1:50), meaning we are able to commune with those in the next plane of life just as he did, sometimes even when they appear in glorified bodies.
3. Another account was added to Yeshua’s teachings by the writer of Luke, and Biblical scholars agree that it probably did not come from Yeshua; it was added by first-century Christians. However, it shows that first-century Christians did not believe that the deceased went into cold storage. In fact, they believed that people who pass away are immediately met and guided by those on the other side. In Luke 16:22, the writer describes a begger dying. The writer reports that upon death, angels on the other side of life “carried him to Abraham’s side.” There, the begger was very much alive and with Abraham who was very much alive. Their physical bodies were moldering on Earth somewhere. But they were alive on the other side, having etheric or spiritual bodies, engaging in a conversation. If the early Christians had had a notion of cold storage for millennia, that passage would not have been written or would not have remained in the text as it was circulated.
4. Still another account reports that Yeshua told his disciples that his Father’s house has plenty of room and he would go to prepare a place for them. He then said he was going to come back for them (not in life, obviously, but when they died) and take them there. There is no statement such as “For a few millennia, you’ll be in cold storage, but after the judgment you’ll have a room with your name on it.” He was making a clear reference to greeting them when they passed away and entered the next plane of life.
5. Yeshua spoke later in that account of going to be with the Father, God, and being available for the disciples to communicate with. He said they could ask him to do things and he would do them on the other side of life. In other words, Yeshua had a very clear conception that his life would continue and that he would be available to communicate with the disciples, although people would not be able to see him. That is a perfect description of the next plane of life where people are able to walk among us and see us, but we can’t see them.
6. In a remarkable description of being on the next plane of life, communicating with the disciples, and appearing to them at times, Yeshua is reported to have said this:
  
  18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. Anyone who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. John 14:18-21

These remarkable words aren’t concepts known among the first-century Jews. The writers who recorded Yeshua’s words undoubtedly had no idea what they were writing—they just wrote down what he was reported to have said. Yeshua’s description shows insights into the afterlife that could only have come from guidance from God and those on higher planes of being. They are testimony to his knowledge that he would be living on the next plane of life and if the disciples just had faith and were open to him from the other side, he would be able to guide them and even appear to them.

In other words, there is no evidence that Yeshua believed that his followers would go into cold storage after passing away and enter a heaven at some far-distant time, and early Christians closest to Yeshua’s time believed people were guided in the afterlife upon death. On the other hand, there is direct, clear evidence that Yeshua believed that those who passed away would immediately enter the next plane of life and have etheric bodies. He spoke with Moses and Elijah as they materialized, and he allowed Peter, John, and James to witness it. Finally, he assured his disciples that even though he was not going to be in a physical body, he would be with them, would give them guidance, and even might appear to them.

Focusing on the Real Truths of the New Testament, the Church Is Coming to Accept the Afterlife

The Church of England

A committee of the Church of England studied mediumship records for two years, analyzing a great volume of the evidence on mediumship to investigate Spiritualism because it was so popular in England at the time. Its investigations included clergy sitting with some of the leading mediums in England. At the end of their thorough investigation, seven of the ten members of the committee—against enormous pressure—came to this conclusion: “The hypothesis that they (spirit communications) proceed in some cases from discarnate spirits is the true one.”[i]

(From “The Church of England and Spiritualism—the full text of the Church of England committee appointed by Archbishop Lang and Archbishop Temple to investigate Spiritualism” (London: Psychic Press Ltd., 1939), https://www.cfpf.org.uk/articles/religion/cofe_report/cofe_report.html.)

Canon (Dr.) Michael Perry was ordained in the Church of England in 1958. In 1970, he became a Canon of Durham Cathedral and Archdeacon in Durham City diocese. He has served as President of the Churches’ Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual Studies (CFPSS) since 1998 and as Editor of its journal, The Christian Parapsychologist, since 1978. He also serves on the Advisory Council of the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research.

In an interview with Michael Tymn, he said,

Compared, for instance, with the Tibetan Buddhists or the ancient Egyptians, the writers of the Old Testament were remarkably uninterested in any future life beyond this physical earth. Their God Jahweh (known to us as Jehovah) was concerned with his people here and now, and they believed that his rule did not extend beyond earth. Their near contemporaries had a much more lively interest in psychic communication. So it was felt that anyone who ‘dabbled’ in the psychic was being disloyal to the God of Israel. Hence the biblical prohibitions on such activity. Jahweh was the God of the living, and why should you seek the living amongst the dead?

That is why there are Christians who believe that parapsychology is forbidden. But if they do, they are still locked in an Old Testament understanding of God.

Christians know that the Resurrection of Yeshua turned the whole Old Testament scenario upside down. The Resurrection showed us that God is the God of earth and hell and heaven, and his rule knows no bounds. The Communion of Saints is a communion which is not bounded by earthly, physical, parameters. We are not being disloyal to the Christian God by dealing with departed souls. We need to do so responsibly, and to God’s glory; and it is the business of the CFPSS to show how such responsible Christian commerce with unseen worlds may be enterprised.

(“An Interview with Canon (Dr.) Michael Perry,” Michael E. Tymn, The Searchlight ARPR Bulletin, June 2004. Retrieved from http://www.lightlink.com/arpr/tymn/Dr_Michael_perry.htm May 17, 2007).

The Roman Catholic Church

For many years, the Roman Catholic Church has been carrying out scientific experiments with their own mediums. Their conclusion after the experiments was written by one of the most competent theologians of the Vatican, Father Gino Concetti, chief theological commentator for the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. Concetti wrote that, “According to the modern catechism the Church has decided not to forbid anymore to dialogue with the deceased . . . this is as a sequel of new discoveries within the domain of the paranormal.” In another place, he wrote, “Communication is possible between those who live on this earth and those who live in a state of eternal repose, in heaven or purgatory. It may even be that God lets our loved ones send us messages to guide us at certain moments in our life.”

Concetti suggested dead relatives could be responsible for prompting impulses, triggering inspiration, and appearing in dreams. He said the new Catholic catechism specifically endorses the view that the dead could intercede on earth and quotes the dying St. Dominic telling his brothers: “Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.”

(From John Hooper, “Dialogue with the Dead Is Feasible, Vatican Spokesman Says,” London Observer Service, January 31, 1999.)

For Christians, Those on the Next Plane of Life Have Great Reverence for Yeshua

The most compelling reason we know those in the afterlife are our loved ones, not demons, and want to communicate to help us grow spiritually, is the fact that they all speak with great reverence about Yeshua. They have harsh words for the church, but only because it doesn’t represent Yeshua’s spiritual teachings as well as they would wish.

Many who come through in seances are theologians, ministers, priests, brothers, deans, and bishops. They all acknowledge the primacy of Yeshua’s teachings for humanity, and encourage us to follow his teachings and model. They explain that they are choosing to communicate through mediums in order to help humanity grow spiritually to realize Yeshua’s model. They emphasize the need for peace, brotherhood, and universal, unconditional love among all men, without regard for race or creed.

The Gospel of John includes a story of teachers of the law coming from Jerusalem to the Galilee to see for themselves what Yeshua was doing because he was creating such a stir. When they witnessed his miracles, they were so convinced of their authenticity that they exclaimed, “He is possessed by Beelzebub [Satan]! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” Yeshua replied, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.” (John 3: 23-26)

What Yeshua was saying about his own work was that if the works are against evil and are for good, they couldn’t possibly come from an evil source. Evil cannot speak against or eradicate evil, and evil cannot do good. Those on the next plane of life more strongly support Yeshua and Yeshua’s teachings than do most churches on this Earthly plane. No evil force or being could hold adoration for Yeshua and the desire to help humankind become like Yeshua and still accomplish the evil goals of separating man from God and man from other men.

Those in the afterlife are real people, devoted more than ever to God, to Yeshua, and to helping humankind grow to become peaceful, loving, and spiritual.

Messages from the Afterlife Are Always Loving

All of the connections with our loved ones living on the next plane of life are always filled with love and messages that help the experiencer live a fuller, more spiritual life. They speak of the importance of loving and forgiving one another and avoiding self-absorption, cruelty, violence, and material obsession, what we would call “evil.” They talk about the Divine and the reality of the benificient Creator of the universe. There is never a word spoken that divides people from one another, incites anger or violence, or promotes anything we would associate with evil. Everything they say draws people together in love.

In other words, all messages we receive from those on the next plane of life are in line with the teachings of Yeshua, the Buddha, and the other spiritual luminaries, and none are what we would associate with the actions or intents of the mythological demons or the mythological devil.

Other References to Demons

There are other references to demons in the New Testament, but none have to do with contact of a deceased loved one. They all were the ancient belief that disease and psychological problems were caused by demons, an archaic belief no one accepts today. Acts 16:16-18 describes a girl “possessed by an evil spirit” that enabled her to be a fortune teller. That has nothing to do with communicating with deceased loved ones, but also doesn’t indicate that a demon speaks through any human being; the fortune teller was just able to see future events.

There are no statements in the Bible suggesting that demons disguise themselves as loved ones speaking from the afterlife. That is a fabrication of the church that insists it have control over all spiritual matters.

The Old Testament and Mediums

The people who attempt to demonize the afterlife cite Old Testament mandates against mediums. There are several passages that deal with mediums and speaking to the dead:

Leviticus 19:31: Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:6: I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.
Leviticus 20:27: A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.
Deuteronomy 18:11: Let no one be found among you who . . . is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
1 Samuel 28:9: But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?” (Whole Chapter: 1 Samuel 28 In context: 1 Samuel 28:8-10)
2 Kings 21:6: He . . . consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
2 Kings 23:24: Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the LORD.
1 Chronicles 10:13: Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD ; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance.
2 Chronicles 33:6: He . . . consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD , provoking him to anger.
Isaiah 8:19: When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?
Isaiah 19:3: The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.

What is perhaps most interesting about the passages is that they all provide testimony that people who pass away live on the next plane of life, not in cold storage. Even the Jewish writers in the first millennium BCE knew that. There’s no question in their minds that the dead are available to communicate. The people were just admonished to seek counsel from God, not from their deceased loved ones.

Just as in the New Testament, there is no mention here of the odd concept that a medium speaks to demons. The passages state clearly that mediums speak to real people who have left the body, but are very much alive in the afterlife.

And Yeshua communed with Moses and Elijah in materialized bodies before Peter, John, and James. Clearly he didn’t see anything wrong with doing so. He certainly wouldn’t have disobeyed the Old Testament and allowed the disciples to witness it, unless, of course, he was saying the new laws replaced the old, as he several times did.

However, what is most important is the clear context of what the writers were saying. People were “consulting the dead” instead of God. Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord, not because he went to a medium; he “consulted a medium for guidance” instead of consulting God; that’s what angered God. The Old Testament Yahweh wasn’t a God to be trifled with; he certainly did his share of killing people who got on his bad side. We don’t believe in that God any more; God doesn’t kill people who aren’t faithful. It’s a good thing because that would mean 24% of Americans, 73% of the French, and 93% of the members of the National Academy of Science would be wiped out.

At the times these passages refer to, religions existed that were based on spiritism or mediumistic activities. That is what the writers were railing against, not speaking to a loved one who had passed away. The writers were putting mediums and spiritists in the same list with idols and household gods, as the representatives of these other religions.

The Old Testament passages that those railing against communication with the next plane of life appeal to have no relevance for people who are seeking to follow Yeshua’s teachings today. They aren’t consulting mediums instead of God for guidance and today’s God wouldn’t kill them if they did. The church cites these Bible passages because they suit their purpose—demonizing communication with people in the afterlife that the church can’t control.

Besides that, there are 612 other Mitzvahs of Torah. The Mitzvahs are the rules an orthodox Jew must follow based on passages in the Old Testament. We have to assume that those who choose the Mitzvah against mediums as their banner must strive to adhere to the other 612 as well. They don’t eat pork, don’t work from sundown on Friday until after nightfall on Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath), don’t travel beyond the city limits on Sabbath, read the Sh’ma twice daily, wear Tephilin of the head and hand, cancel monetary claims in the Sabbatical year (every seven years), eat matzah on the first night of Pesach, fast on Yom Kippur, whip transgressors of certain commandments, behead transgressors of certain commandments, don’t shave their beard, don’t pronounce the name of G_d, don’t curse a ruler, and on and on through the rest of the total of 613 Mitzvahs.

The Leviticus admonitions also include these rules: If you curse your father or mother, commit adultery, or have a homosexual relationship, you must be put to death. If you have sex with your partner when the female is having her period you have to be banished from your family and community. If a man marries his brother’s wife, they are to have no children. You are to eat no pork.

Of course most Jews and Christians today don’t obey the Leviticus rules or the 613 Mitzvahs of Torah; they would agree that the Old Testament Mitzvahs are not relevant today. However, in spite of that, Christians particularly continue to cite the passages that support their unfounded contention that grieving people must not talk to their deceased loved ones. In so doing, they block people’s growth in understanding the afterlife and keep them from learning that their loved ones are alive and well, that they’ve just stepped into another room for a few years, and all will soon be joined in a wonderful reunion.

Conclusion

The words of Yeshua and writers in both the Jewish and Christian canons show that our loved ones are close by and accessible to us, just not within our sight. And Yeshua simply did not prohibit people from communicating with their deceased loved ones. Demons aren’t pretending to be someone’s loved one; Yeshua didn’t say anything like that, and besides, that would be a house divided against itself because those on the other side have great reverence for Yeshua and seek to help people follow his teachings. The passages in the Old Testament had a clear context that doesn’t apply to today’s followers of Yeshua, who are not orthodox Jews following the 613 Mitzvahs of the Torah.

In other words, there is nothing about communicating with a deceased loved one that is prohibited by Christian theology.

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