Ghosts - what are they?

[Grace2022]

There is no doubt people do see ghosts. Particularly interesting is when children report sighting apparitions.
I have never seen any.
I want to discuss what exactly is being sensed or seen.
My own view is that it is the devil and his demons making mischief. Perhaps impersonating those who have passed away. I keep away completely from all sych stuff and keep My eyes on Christ. But i believe those who do not know christ simply get sucked into unwholesome phenomena and think they are seeing dead people.
I genuinely would like to know what the Word of God is on this and how we should answer someone when we are questioned about it. Does the Bible explain ghosts?

 

[timewerx]

<Staff Edit>

My actual experience is the opposite of this statement.....OR.....the particular Christian never had the Holy Spirit but a counterfeit spirit possessing him or her instead.

There are many Christians with this problem. It pays to look real deep at what we believe, whether they are actually biblical or even in context no matter if a pastor says it.... Even pastors make tons of mistakes like we do.

 

[timewerx]

I keep away completely from all sych stuff and keep My eyes on Christ. But i believe those who do not know christ simply get sucked into unwholesome phenomena and think they are seeing dead people.

Jesus told His disciples to test every spirit. Which means, even disciples can be approached by evil spirits.

Also don't forget the devil approached and tried to bargain with Christ.

Jesus said we can encounter these and we better be prepared when we do. Being Christian isn't like a shield that will repel all evil spirits away. The point of knowing Christ and the Truth, is when we do encounter these things, we would know what they are and how to deal with them, properly.

It's sad to say that quite many Christians actually have encounters with evil spirits but never perceiving them, never knowing they encountered one. If we can't see them, we could allow them in. And it happens.

 

[sk8brdkd]

Ghosts are demons who take on human form.

 

[R. Hartono]

The Book of Enoch chapter 15: 8-12

And now the giants, who have been begotten from body and flesh, will be called evil spirits on earth, and their dwelling-places will be upon the earth.

9. Evil spirits proceed from their bodies; because they are created from above, their beginning and first basis being from the holy watchers, they will be evil spirits upon the earth, and will be called evil spirits.

10. But the spirits of heaven have their dwelling-places in heaven, and the spirits of the earth, who were born on the earth, have their dwelling-places on earth.

11. And the spirits of the giants, who cast themselves upon the clouds, will be destroyed and fall, and will battle and cause destruction on the earth, and do evil; they will take no kind of food, nor will they become thirsty, and they will be invisible.

 

[Divide]

Yep, evil spirits from the dead Nephilim that were killed in the flood.

 

[R. Hartono]

Yep, evil spirits from the dead Nephilim that were killed in the flood.

Hv seen this kind from a well.

 

[ViaCrucis]

There is no doubt people do see ghosts. Particularly interesting is when children report sighting apparitions.
I have never seen any.
I want to discuss what exactly is being sensed or seen.
My own view is that it is the devil and his demons making mischief. Perhaps impersonating those who have passed away. I keep away completely from all sych stuff and keep My eyes on Christ. But i believe those who do not know christ simply get sucked into unwholesome phenomena and think they are seeing dead people.
I genuinely would like to know what the Word of God is on this and how we should answer someone when we are questioned about it. Does the Bible explain ghosts?

Scripture doesn't explain ghosts, though does demonstrate that belief in apparitions of the dead is ancient and common, notably in the Gospel of Luke when the apostles first see the risen Jesus they are startled and wonder if they are seeing a ghost, Jesus reassures them that He is flesh and bone, it's really Him in the flesh.

Perhaps the most interesting case is the episode where King Saul disguised himself and sought out a medium during the middle of the night, because he wanted advice from the recently deceased Prophet Samuel. The medium is basically clueless as to what's going on, and then absolutely terrified when the shade of Samuel appears and rebukes Saul.

As for what I think ghosts are? I think ghosts are a figment of the imagination. I suppose it's possible for a demon to pretend to do ghost things, but it's not something I tend to expend much thought on. But honestly I think that the overwhelming number of ghost stories are just stories, and ghost encounters can be more easily explained by rational means. For example, it's pretty well known that infrasound (sound with wavelengths below the lower limit of human hearing) can do very bizarre things, especially louder sounds--including inducing feelings of uneasiness or dread, causing auditory and visual hallucinations, and even cause nausea. There have been a number of cases where supposedly "haunted" locations were simply the result of the low frequency humming of a machine or old pipes. Anyone who has suffered from insomnia or experienced sleep deprivation could also tell you that a lack of proper sleep can do weird things, seeing things from the corners of your eyes, hear things that aren't there, these are all symptoms of sleep deprivation.

In the case of the deceased Samuel showing up to give Saul an earful? I suspect this was a rather special case, especially seeing as the medium seems to have been rather shocked and terrified that something--anything--actually happened.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Divide]

Hv seen this kind from a well.

I've no idea why they didn't go armed into a place like that. I notice no one said at any time, we better pray, or something. So they weren't Christians. That's the weird thing about this sort of thing...it doesn't seem to happen to Christians. Alien abductions either I've noticed. I think that's because Christians have authority over them in Jesus name.

It makes sense they stay out of the light. That's what scripture says too. You seen one down a well? What did it look like? What did you do?

 

[R. Hartono]

You seen one down a well? What did it look like? What did you do?

It was tall abt 2.3 meters and dark, curved eyes twice as man's, eyes shine like candle fire, it appeared for 2 hours beside my bed, from the well near my sleeping room, i couldnt move even my finger as it has freezed my body and it was the most horrible sight i dont wish to view anymore, and after that i had strange accidents i was almost killed 6 times, the last time was i have been pushed into the water tank from the back and i already inhaled the water and lost consciousness if not for my old maid who pulled me out and saved my life.

In front of that house was a small road yet fatal accidents happened from time to time. I was almost kill once by a car out of nowhere and hardly escape death and it took a young girl's life a few days later.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Matthew 27:50 (KJV)...MISS-translation
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. (SPIRIT = pneuma)

Luke 23:46 (KJV)
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said,
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (breathed His Last, Body / Soul bled to death)

spirit...Greek 4151...pneuma

he gave up the ghost ...Greek 1606....ekpneō...
I.to breathe out, breathe out one's life, breathe one's last, expire

John 19:30 (KJV)....MISS-translation
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said,
It is finished:
and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

spirit...Greek 4151...pneuma

and gave up the ghost....Greek 1634...ekpsychō...
I.to expire, to breathe out one's life

Matthew 14:26 (NASB)
When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said,
“It is a ghost!”
And they cried out in fear.

a ghost...Greek 5326...phantasma...
I.an appearance
II.an apparition, spectre

There is an immortal spirit (Pneuma) in all men.

God is spirit.

There are evil spirits...devil/demons.

There are no "ghosts" , apparitions, spectres, "spooks".

 

[anna ~ grace]

A Catholic friend on another forum posted that what we see are, in fact, souls suffering in Purgatory, projected into our word visibly, seeking prayers. They are real people, on their way to Heaven, but not there yet.

 

[LEAA/SOFR]

As for me and my household, ghosts are demonic spirits plain and simple.

 

[Jay1971]

Brother Mark Hunneman explains it all. I know in Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

 

[Ron Gurley]

God does not "see" "ghosts" (phantasma) because they do not exist.

God is pure and perfect Spirit who judges the immortal spirits of all men. He does not judge the Spiritual Position of believers in Christ. He has promised resurrection into "spirit bodies" for believers.

 

[Ron Gurley]

God does not see "ghosts"

 

[Dave G.]

There is no doubt people do see ghosts. Particularly interesting is when children report sighting apparitions.
I have never seen any.
I want to discuss what exactly is being sensed or seen.
My own view is that it is the devil and his demons making mischief. Perhaps impersonating those who have passed away. I keep away completely from all sych stuff and keep My eyes on Christ. But i believe those who do not know christ simply get sucked into unwholesome phenomena and think they are seeing dead people.
I genuinely would like to know what the Word of God is on this and how we should answer someone when we are questioned about it. Does the Bible explain ghosts?

A pastor friend of mine has stated that there is indeed paranormal activity. We never took the conversation past that though. My own impression is much as yours, I think ghosts are projections from Satan/ the enemy. I believe these projections exist and they are from him. Just as there is power in the occult and that is from him as well.

 

[Ron Gurley]

If evil spirits are transmittors, they need a receiver!

 

[Dave G.]

If evil spirits are transmittors, they need a receiver!

Yes someone open to such things I suppose.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Believers indwelt by God the Holy Spirit should be able to overcome any attacks by evil spirits.