WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY REGARDING COMMUNICATION WITH ANCESTRAL SPIRITS?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from the Afrikaans Version: Wat sê God se Woord oor kommunikasie met voorvaderlike geeste?
Translator: Lynda Botha
Someone wrote to me the following:
I would like to hear your opinion on sangomas. I believe that it is wrong, but I don’t really have Christian evidence for it. Can you help me please?
Let me start off by telling you something about sangomas:
A large part of the sangomas’, let's call it ritual processes, involves around the ancestral spirits and communication between the sangoma and the ancestral spirits.
With regards to the above, it is clearly unacceptable to the Christian faith.
Yes, I know there are many Christian denominations that diminish many of the Christian principles to accommodate groups, cults, people and also sangomas. However, my conscience would not allow me, according to what I read in the Word of God, to relate to for example sangomas, they rituals and communicating with ancestral spirits.
Let's look what the Word of God says, in other words what our Lord says, with regards to communicating with spirits.
Firstly, the Word of God says, and therefore God says, that to begin with: If I concern myself with these things, I become dirty and unclean:
LEV 19:31 “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.”
As you have read, our Lord says that we should not consult with spirits, for He is the Lord our God who are the only one we need to consult.
Furthermore, our Lord says:
LEV 20:6 “I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.”
Our Lord feels so strongly about this issue that He said should someone have such a spirit in them, that such a person does not deserve to live.
LEV 20:27 “Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.”
Let's quickly see, according to the Word of God, if it is indeed possible to communicate with a deceased, ancestral spirit or whatever it would be called.
What you are about to read now is Jesus’ explanation. Jesus who were the only person who also walked as human on earth, who has in depth knowledge, of heaven, hell and whether the people who have died can contact us, or we them.
You can read the way Jesus explains it in the whole passage from Luke 16:19 and thereafter. I only highlighted a few verses although the whole section is relevant to this letter.
The first thing I wanted to point out to you in Jesus' story is that when you leave this life behind and enter the afterlife, you will enter one of two places where you will spend eternity.
The second point, of the many powerful scriptures I wanted to share with you, is that when you are in Hell, it would be as if you were looking through a one-way mirror seeing heaven but you’re in the most terrible place a person can find themselves in and you will remain there for eternity.
LUK 16:23 “..and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.”
LUK 16:24 “The rich man shouted, “Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.”
However, do not think for a moment that you will have any relief, or will be able to make a nice trip to earth, or will be able to move in between to have some sort of respite while relaxing to get away from your terrible eternal punishment:
It was explained to the rich man that there will never be salvation or relief for him and that he is where he is forever, until eternity.
Then there was the desperate begging attempts from the rich man and remember that it is Jesus who tells us about this event:
LUK 16:27 “Then the rich man said, “Please Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home.”
LUK 16:28 “For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.”
Jesus clearly indicates that if you are in heaven, our Lord will keep you there because He created and saved us to be with Him always. Even if He allows you to go from heaven to earth, it would be a senseless act because it would mean nothing to someone’s soul or mental well-being in the long run. They may be overwhelmed for a time by the miracle, but Jesus, who is God and does not lie, says that even such a thing will not save you if you do not believe what God says in His holy Word which He gave to us:
LUK 16:29-31
29 “But Abraham said, “Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.”
30 “The rich man replied, “No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.”
31 “But Abraham said, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”
God does not do senseless or useless things and like Jesus clearly pointed out in the Word, it would be totally pointless and useless for me to communicate with a dead person, whether the person is in heaven or in hell.
Now I'm not saying for a moment that the people, let’s call them spirit consultants, are not communicating with spirits, but it is certainly not a dead person with whom they are communicating. If it seems like this supposedly deceased have the right answer, we must just remember that Satan’s demons keep a watchful eye on all our life’s, to see where he can tempt us to sin. He probably knows me better than I know myself, and in this universe, there is not a better mimic and spotter as Satan and his evil spirits:
2 COR 11:14 “But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
2 COR 11:15 “So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.”
So, if someone asks about sangomas, why would I go through all this oratory about the dead and spirits etc.?
Because my friend –
I would like to relay my message as clear as possible. Any faith, ministry, so-called Christian denominations, or whatever they may call themselves that has anything to do with the dead or spirits or something similar, should not be acceptable to you and me – we, who adopted Jesus Christ as our Saviour and now have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
You and I have just one Spirit who leads us and it is His Holy Spirit.
His Holy Spirit may use any living being, for various purposes, as we are unable to judge correctly with our personal involvement and humanity but He will never use the dead because the dead does not have the power to make contact with us.
As we have read, we need; His Word, guided only by His Spirit and living people which He can use to help us.
I conclude with the following from our Lord's precious Word.
Because what I preached throughout this letter concerning His Spirit to you, I repeat again:
There is only Jesus Christ and His Word, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Anything else that is preached is simply not acceptable for a true Spirit-filled child of our Lord.
Only through Jesus Christ, to put it this way, is there communication in the spirit world and then only to God Almighty:
JOH 14:6 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”
There is therefore only one Spirit that can and will possess God's true children:
JOH 14:26 “But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative – that is, the
Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
Then –
What shall we do with everything that Jesus Christ's Spirit comforted and taught us?
ACT 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witness, telling people about Me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Therefore –
Let us leave all these other religions, cults and things, because I really do not even want to pollute myself by mentioning these things, and rather use the time we have here on Earth by demonstrating to the world which Spirit dwells in us, by our God and Saviour whom sent us His Holy Spirit so that the world can see Him – Jesus – through us.
How do we do it?
Well we obey His commandments through our lives or by our words and sometimes by both action and words:
MAT 28:18-20
18 “Jesus came and told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”
19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
20 “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Greetings,
Sakkie