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On The Edge of Time
Spiritual Guides of the New Age
The doctrine of natural immortality has prepared the way for
modern spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy
angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed,
why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living?
How can those who believe in man’s consciousness in death reject what comes to
them as divine light communicated by glorified spirits? Here is a channel
regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his
purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the
spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the
dead, Satan exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds.
He has power even to bring before men the appearance of their
departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the
tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness. Many are comforted with the
assurance that their loved ones are enjoying the bliss of heaven; and without
suspicion of danger, they give ear to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
When they have been led to believe that the dead actually
return to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear who went into the
grave unprepared. They claim to be happy in heaven, and even to occupy exalted
positions there; and thus the error is widely taught that no difference is made
between the righteous and the wicked. The pretended visitants from the world of
spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct. Then,
as confidence is gained, they present doctrines which directly undermine faith
in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep interest in the well-being of
their friends on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous errors. The fact that
they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell future events, gives
to their statements an appearance of reliability; and their false teachings are
accepted by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they
were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The law of God is set aside, the
Spirit of grace despised, the blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The
spirits deny the divinity of Christ and place even the Creator on a level with
themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel still carries forward his
warfare against God, begun in heaven, and for nearly six thousand years
continued upon the earth.
Many endeavor to account for spiritual manifestations by
attributing them wholly to fraud and sleight of hand on the part of the medium.
But while it is true that the results of trickery have often been palmed off as
genuine manifestations, there have been, also, marked exhibitions of
supernatural power. The mysterious rapping with which modern spiritualism began
was not the result of human trickery or cunning but the direct work of evil
angels, who thus introduced one of the most successful of soul-destroying
delusions. Many will be ensnared through the belief that Spiritualism is a
merely human imposture; when brought face to face with manifestations which they
cannot but regard as supernatural, they will be deceived and will be led to
accept them as the great power of God.
These persons overlook the testimony of the Scriptures
concerning the wonders wrought by Satan and his agents. It was by Satanic aid
that Pharaoh’s magicians were enabled to counterfeit the work of God. The
apostle John, describing the miracle-working power that will be manifested in
the last days, declares: “He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come
down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell
on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do.” Rev.
13:13, 14. No mere impostures are here brought to view. Men are deceived by the
miracles which Satan’s agents have power to do, not which they pretend to do.
The very name of witchcraft is now held in contempt. The
claim that men can hold intercourse with evil spirits is regarded as a fable of
the Dark Ages. But spiritualism, which numbers its converts by hundreds of
thousands, yea, by millions, which has made its way into scientific circles,
which has invaded churches, and has found favor in legislative bodies, and even
in the courts of kings, this mammoth deception is but a revival in a new
disguise of the witchcraft condemned and prohibited of old.
But none need be deceived by the lying claims of
spiritualism. God has given the world sufficient light to enable them to
discover the snare. If there were no other evidence, it should be enough for the
Christian that the spirits make no difference between righteousness and sin,
between the noblest and purest of the apostles of Christ and the most corrupt of
the servants of Satan. By representing the basest of men as in heaven and highly
exalted there, Satan virtually declares to the world, No matter how wicked you
are; no matter whether you believe or disbelieve God and the Bible, live as you
please; heaven is your home.
Moreover, the apostles, as personated by these lying spirits,
are made to contradict what they wrote at the dictation of the Holy Spirit when
on earth. They deny the divine origin of the Bible, and thus tear away the
foundation of the Christian’s hope, and put out the light that reveals the way
to heaven.
Says the prophet Isaiah: “When they shall say unto you, Seek
unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that
mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To
the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:19, 20. If men had been willing to
receive the truth so plainly stated in the Scriptures that the dead know not
anything, they would see in the claims and manifestations of spiritualism the
working of Satan with power and signs and lying wonders. But rather than yield
the liberty so agreeable to the carnal heart, and renounce the sins which they
love, the multitudes close their eyes to the light and walk straight on,
regardless of warnings, while Satan weaves his snares about them, and they
become his prey. “Because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved,” therefore “God shall send them strong delusion, that they
should believe a lie.” 2 Thess. 2: 10, 11.
Those who would stand in this time of peril must understand
the testimony of the Scriptures concerning the nature of man and the state of
the dead; for in the near future many will be confronted by the spirits of
devils personating beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous
heresies. These visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympathies and will work
miracles to sustain their pretensions. We must be prepared to withstand them
with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything, and that they who thus
appear are the spirits of devils.
Just before us is the “hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Rev. 3: 10. All
whose faith is not firmly established upon the word of God will be deceived and
overcome. But to those who earnestly seek a knowledge of the truth, thus doing
what they can to prepare for the conflict, the God of truth will be a sure
defense. “Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep
thee,” is the Saviour’s promise. He would sooner send every angel out of heaven
to protect His people, than leave one soul that trusts in Him to be overcome by
Satan.
Long has Satan been preparing for his final effort to deceive
the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in
Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.” “In the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes
shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Little by
little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the
development of spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of
his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time, and the world
will be swept into the ranks of this delusion. They are fast being lulled into a
fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.
Chapter 5
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