For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 KJV
Christians would do much in favor of souls throughout the world if they would only personally study the light and direction that the Bible offers us in its doctrines.
While the vast majority of professed Christians say "amen" to misinterpreted or simply distorted doctrines and proclaim them as truths, many men, women, and children, who could well hope in the only true God, sink into lies as harmful as spiritism.
One of the greatest falsehoods to which professed Christians have contributed is that of the state of the dead. Although it was cemented by the Roman Church based on ideas from ancient paganism, the Protestant churches never took on the task of diligently studying this topic to offer clarity to the world.
To think that the soul that sins and dies is transported directly to hell, or on the contrary, that the God-fearing soul immediately ascends to heaven has no biblical basis, no matter how much churches try to justify it using the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. And as if that were not enough, there is also the belief that souls can become "trapped" in the physical world and watch over, care for, or even torment the living—as if God were not in control of His creation and there were no order established by Him.
The Bible makes it clear to us that the dead know nothing, and that they no longer have anything to do with what happens under the sun. How then is it possible that so many Christians can affirm, in the first place, that the soul is immortal? Secondly, that it has license to roam the world of the living, and ultimately, receive its reward—be it heaven or hell—at the moment of death? Is God not a just Judge? Will He not give to each according to their work at the time of His coming?
It is sad to know that many of the "inconsistencies" of which the world accuses the Bible are nothing more than cognitive dissonances among those who profess to proclaim it. The Bible is in complete harmony among each and every one of its books; it is the lack of study and the preconceived or pre-digested ideas that many profess which give the impression that contradictions can exist in the Word of God.
Verses like those presented below offer clarity regarding the state of the dead and open our eyes to certain factors that cultural Catholics would do well to know: Mary, the Saints of Christ, and ancestors can do nothing to help us, they are not guides or intercessors, and they cannot perform miracles. Only Jesus Christ has the authority and the power to intercede for us and only He can guide and direct us; that is why He left us His Holy Spirit. When commissioning the apostles, their work was limited to the temporal life they received, and their direct influence would not go beyond the moment of their death. In fact, even the writings recorded in the Holy Scriptures cannot be attributed to them as authors, but rather to the Holy Spirit, who administered through them the doctrines, prophecies, and wisdom that God determined to give us.
For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? Psalms 6:5
The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. Psalms 115:17
Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. Psalms 94:17
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:10
But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Daniel 12:13
Brothers, the deceased are in their rest, awaiting the resurrection when Jesus Christ comes again in the clouds of heaven with His thousands of angels. By contradicting such a truth, we do nothing more than give spiritists a basis and foundation to deceive souls and turn them away from the hope and salvation of God. Any spiritual experience with the deceased, just as occurred to King Saul with the witch of Endor, can only be attributed to the work of demons. It is our duty to proclaim the truths that have been given to us, not to mix them with falsehoods.
Brothers, the deceased are in their rest, awaiting the resurrection when Jesus Christ comes again in the clouds of heaven with His thousands of angels. By contradicting such a truth, we do nothing more than give spiritists a basis and foundation to deceive souls and turn them away from the hope and salvation of God. Any spiritual experience with the deceased, just as occurred to King Saul with the witch of Endor, can only be attributed to the work of demons. It is our duty to proclaim the truths that have been given to us, not to mix them with falsehoods.
Let us strive to study the scriptures and immerse ourselves in them in prayer so that God may reveal the truth to us, and let us bridle our tongue from spreading that which we do not understand, lest it happen to us as it is written in the epistle of James—that by becoming teachers of many we receive greater condemnation, not for teaching, which is a noble task, but for teaching that which God has not given us.
