Skip to main content

Beyond the Normal Not Afraid of Ghosts

Ezekiel 37:1-6


 

How does the Bible deal with ghosts

OT – no use of the word "ghost" as rendered in Hebrew

1 Samuel 28:3,11-19 – Saul has Samuel conjured from the dead and has a conversation (eloihim)

NT – 2 separate occasions "ghost" is mentioned

Jesus walking on the water is considered a ghost (phantasm) (Mt14:26; Mk 6:49)

Luke 24:37,39 – Jesus appears and refers to a pneuma not having flesh and blood

What are ghosts?

Most people define ghosts as the spirit or soul or essence of a person how most times is dead

Mark 12:30 – love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, strength

Matt 10:30 – the body that can be destroyed but not the soul

Gen 35:18 – soul departs at death

There is an understanding from OT and NT that soul is the breath of life

Gen 2:7 – the breath given to man

Life is not just physical being

Thought and feeling are experienced separate of physical

Spirit and soul are not "felt" but it is part of us

When physical life ends we believe that only the physical ends

Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually we continue

2 Corinthians 4:16

As a definition of ghost

A demon/angel is not a ghost – demon/angels are a creation of their own

A ghost may be a demon/angel due to the nature of tempt/message

If a ghost is a soul released by death we have to ask why it isn't at rest


 

Dealing with ghosts

Death is a time of rest for the soul

Final judgment is to happen at God's chosen time

Until then death is a time of rest/waiting until then

What is behind ghostly encounters

Explained by natural/environmental explanations

Emotional connection

Natural/environmental

Intelligent

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This is Really Me...graphic information of an uncomfortable type enclosed.

I really hope that enough people have stopped following that this is really just a declaration into the winds of a few hearts. I have been silent because my life is in an ebb and flow of chaos. Professionally, I am reaching my end as a local church pastor. I have lost any desire to lead people who have no desire to go anywhere. Relationally, I am losing my connection to all of the people closest to me: family, friends, mentors. I am sitting here, writing this in despair and broken. I have nothing left to lose, so I want to tell you about my real self. This is me. The person I see in my mind when I envision my true self. I'm not drop dead gorgeous, but I'm beautiful.  I'm not graceful and elegant, but I'm gentle and fragile. I'm not going to steal anyone's heart, but my heart has been broken and needs to heal. I don't want to be seen as a freak, but I realize I live in a culture that can't handle what it doesn't understand. I want to be loved...
5 comments
Read more

What dreams may come

Now it's time to say goodbye To all our company.... The Mickey Mouse Club closed out it's episodes by singing this tune. I feel the time has come to sing this song for my blog. It isn't that I don't have anything say. It has more to do with my change and changing life.  I am still very much a postmodern - even though that word is not used anymore. Modernity has slipped and is a shadow of the past. Where we are now is cultural revolution. We are in the midst of it. Those who have moved on from what we were are now trying to establish the foothold for climbing to a place of cultural security. Meanwhile those who hold onto what we were are grabbing at the last places we have moved beyond. At the same time, they are pulling at the shoelaces of those who have moved upward, trying to dislodge our forward and upward advance.  I am still very much a renaissance person - but not for the sake of others. I still like having a connection to as many subjects as possible. A little bi...
2 comments
Read more

Taste of Sex and Gender

Well, my last post seemed to be a little offensive, defensive, or negative to some readers. Sorry to scare the few of you who read it. I'm just feeling a bit negative about the trajectory of the nation and how much people don't really care for peace, justice, or coming to terms with differences. Today, I want to make some notes on something that I'm working out. Gender and sexuality have become topics of reading and reflection for me since coming out. There is a lot of confusion about the two. I have been trying to develop an image to help people get the way that gender and sexuality are different. I also see a lot of people trying to keep them separate categories. That isn't fair. There are overlapping concerns between gender and sexuality that require keeping them in connection while dealing with them as separate aspects of personhood. So here is my crazy "shower idea". Gender and sexuality can be compared to tasting something. When you taste something, ther...
1 comment
Read more