Spiritualism A Sign Of The Last Days

We believe that modern Spiritualism is distinctly foretold in the Bible as a sign of the last days. Thus, John, in speaking of the last days, and of a remarkable work of deception to be wrought at that time, says, "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief." Rev. 16:14, 15. Just before Christ comes and the battle of the great day occurs, certain spirits are to go forth throughout all the earth, working miracles.

The prophecy is plain, and will surely be fulfilled at the proper time. Paul foretells distinctly the same thing. "Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." 1 Tim. 4:1. Jesus warned of the same deceptive work. Speaking of the time of his second coming, he says: "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matt. 24:24. Now, a work just such as is here foretold has arisen in our own days. Modern Spiritualism began in 1848 with the spirit rappings. From this it has developed into all the recent phases of spiritual manifestations; such as trances, materialization, etc. Within about forty years it has made most wonderful progress, numbering, it is claimed, ten million today. If the very best of testimony from the most candid and learned witnesses can prove anything, then it is abundantly proved that there is a reality in Spiritualism.

No doubt there is much that is humbug, carried on for money; but there is the best of proof that spirits from another world do really communicate in many instances. These are not the spirits of the dead; because the Bible distinctly says, "The dead know not anything." Eccl. 9:5. And again, "Neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." Verse 6. The dead, then, can have no part in anything that occurs on earth after they die. Job says that after a man dies "his sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not." Chap. 14: 21.

The spirits of dead men never come back to this earth to talk with people. The word of God speaks plainly against such a view. Who are these spirits, then? The Bible settles this question, for it says distinctly, "They are the spirits of devils." Rev. 16:14. And Paul, speaking of them, says, "They are seducing spirits." 1 Tim. 4:1. The following facts plainly show that they are indeed the spirits of devils. Their flattering style is like that of the seducer. The communications from the spirits abound in such as the following :—

"Come in confidence to us." "Let our teachings deeply impress you." "You must not doubt what we say." "Learn of us." "Have confidence in us." "Obey our directions, and you will be benefited." "Seek to obtain knowledge of us." "Have faith in us." "Fear not to obey." "Obey us, and you will be greatly blessed." But let us see where they will lead us if we follow them.

THEY DENY GOD AND BLASPHEME.

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Ps. 53:1. W. F. Jamieson, a leading Spiritualist, in debate with Burgess, said:— "I do not believe in a personal God, no great First Cause, no Creator. Space, and the worlds, or the matter composing them, never were created, never needed a First Cause. —Banner of Light, April 12, 1871.

THE DEVIL IS THEIR GOD AND FATHER.

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." John 8:44. In the Banner of Light, Nov. 4, 1865, we find the following question and answer, the answer by the "controlling spirit." through Mrs. Conant:— Q. Do you know of any such spirit as a person we call the devil? "A. We certainly do. And yet this same devil is our god, our father."

THEY PRAY TO THE DEVIL.

As they acknowledge Satan to be their god and father, we should naturally expect that when they pray at all, they would pray to him. Miss Lizzie Doten, a celebrated trance lecturer, opened a prayer as follows :— "O Lucifer, thou son of the morning, who fell from thy high estate, and whom mortals are prone to call the embodiment of evil, we lift up our voices to thee."

THEY DESPISE THE BIBLE.

Almost the first thing the spirits do with their converts is to destroy their confidence in the Bible. Why is this? —Evidently, because the Bible so fully advertises and warns against Satan's latter day deceptions; because the Bible is against the spirits, the spirits are against the Bible. One spirit said:— "The book of Genesis is the skin of the old serpent... There are three hundred lies in that book alone." Dr. Hare says:— "The Old Testament does not impart a knowledge of immortality, without which religion were worthless. The notions derived from the gospel are vague, disgusting, inaccurate, and difficult to believe."—Spir. Sci. Dem., p. 209.

THEY JUSTIFY SIN AND CRIME.

A. B. Child says:— "The divine use of the ten commandments is in their violation, not in their observance."—Better Views, pp. 28, 29. The following paragraph is from a discourse, reported in the Banner of Light, from J. S. Loveland, once a Methodist minister:— "With God there is no crime; with man there is. God is in the darkest crime as in the highest possible holiness. He is equally pleased in either case. Both harmonize equally with his attributes— they are only different sides of the same Deity."

THEY ARE AT WAR WITH MARRIAGE.

Spiritualists openly war against the marriage institution, and advocate the doctrine of "affinities" and "free love." A leading Spiritualist writer, in a letter to the N.Y. Herald, says:— "All advancing Spiritualists—though few may have the courage to confess it—repudiate marriage in its legal sense, and believe in the doctrine of affinities."

Surely, here is evidence enough that this work is a wicked work, just such as Satan would delight in. The spirits are the spirits of devils, just as the Bible foretold would be the case immediately preceding the coming of Christ. Reader, is not this sign plainly fulfilled? D.M.C