by Paul Taylor

We as humans are confined to a dimension of sight, sound, feel, etc., but what if there was another dimension that surrounds the present world in which we reside? Sounds farfetched or something out of a science fiction novel doesn't it, but according to the Bible this is not some sci-fi reasoning, but rather a fact that another dimension does actually exist around our present world.

If we study the Bible we will find many references to a spirit world. Lately Hollywood seems to be obsessed with the spirit world and the occult. The entertainment industry has put out a string of movies and television series based on the spirit world, but not consistent with the teachings of the Holy Bible. 1 Tim.4:1 tells us, "1 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; "

Television today is filled with shows of young girls and women as witches. There appears to be a definite push by Hollywood and major advertisers, to alienate women and girls into the occult. You have Buffy the vampire slayer, about a normal teenage girl doing normal teenage things until she is approached by a Watcher and informed that she is the chosen one to hunt vampires, and he is to guide and train her. Others include Sabrina the Teenage Witch, who lives with her magical talking cat, her 500 year old Aunts, and discovers on her 16th birthday that wow! she has magical powers.

Then there is Teen Witch, another teen discovering her magical abilities on her 18th birthday; and let's not forget the books: Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation by Silver Ravenwolf, offering how to instructions, specifically geared to curious adolescents about the beliefs and practice of sorcery. The book has sold over 150,000 copies, according to its author.{1} And there's Harry Potter, written by a destitute British woman, J.K.Rowling, which took the world by storm and made a major impact on pre-teens as well as young adults.

Harry Potter was just an imaginative harmless story according to the publishers and adherents to the series, but advocates echoed the negative impact it would have on our youngest impressionable minds. Three years later, a review of TV shows, children's games, the latest titles from Scholastic Books, a visit to any local major bookstore, or a review of popular youth Web sites, would confirm their initial warnings. Sorcery and witchcraft have become the hottest themes in youth culture and education for the first time in modern Western civilization.

Following the official banning of prayer and Bible reading in U.S. public schools in June of 1962 by the Supreme Court, thousands of these same schools began teaching credited courses in "the doctrines of devils"--the occult and Satanism!

In 1999 a marketing executive from Barnes and Noble, the "World's Largest Bookseller Online," estimates a U.S. "Pagan Buying Audience" of 10 million. This number would not include those who scan the Internet or frequent the public library as their main sources of information. Of course, this number is only an estimate of the number of people who buy Pagan books -- not the number of actual Pagans. B&N allocates more space to Pagan books than the audience would indicate, because "Pagan book buyers" tend to buy more books per capita than those of all other faith groups. {2}

If we believe Hollywood, then, we have these morally upstanding and compassionate people running around talking to the dead, seeing the future and changing the past to benefit the present, acting as a go between for the two dimensions of the living and the dead, and being portrayed as an angel of mercy doing a humanitarian service; the exact opposite of what the Bible describes as the spirit world, or the other dimension. They are called Mediums, Clairvoyants, Psychics, etc. Let's look at the definitions of these three.

Psychic - pertaining to mental forces, telepathy, and extra sensory perception. The magicians of Pharaohs court used their psychic ability to bring frogs upon the land of Egypt as shown in Ex.8:7

Exodus 8:7 and the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

Medium - contacting and being able to communicate with spirits of the dead King Saul went to the witch of Endor, against the commandment of God as stated in Lev.20:6, to summons up Samuel in 1 Samuel chapter 28 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
1 Samuel 28:13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. What the witch saw was evil spirits ascending out of the other dimension.

Clairvoyance - the ability to see things beyond our normal senses 1 Samuel 28: 14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, an old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. King Saul believed the witch saw Samuel, but instead what she observed was an evil spirit impersonating Samuel.

The demons of the spirit world have the ability to impersonate any person, their habits and voices.

Lev.19: 31 Tells us, 31 regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God .What are familiar spirits? The evil spirit within a person is referred to as a familiar spirit, as this spirit has assumed control of that person, therefore becoming familiar with the person.

We are warned throughout the Bible to refrain from any contact or activity, with seers, soothsayers, fortune tellers, witches, etc. The other dimension is an evil dimension as described by Paul in Ephesians 6:11, 12 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

If we believe what Paul is telling us, then there is no loving compassionate spirits, as Hollywood would have us believe, which are interested in our well-being, but rather an evil power lurking in the shadows to deceive us into denying our Creator God and to follow Satan and his minions into the very pits of hell.

It is impossible to talk to or communicate with our dead relatives or friends. The Bible is very specific as to what happens to us at death. Ecclesiastes 12:7 tells us what happens at death. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Our lifeless bodies go into the grave to return back to dust, and the breath of life (spirit) returns to God. Our spirit does not roam restlessly around this world communicating with others.

Some religions teach that we are reincarnated. You may come back as a cow, a dog or any number of animals. One religion believes that the Priest, upon death, is reincarnated into a child born at the time of the present Priests death. Other religions teach that we go straight to Heaven if we have been good, (but who defines good?), and others teach that we are judged and sent to heaven or an eternal burning hell at the time of death. Now, if we really want the truth, then we will consult the only viable and trustworthy source available; God's Word as written in the Holy Bible. This book has proven its truth and accuracy time after time throughout the ages, in the realm of prophecy, moral and civil issues, and personal trials.

The statistics are staggering as to the number of people searching for information on the dead, the occult, and the art of witchcraft and incantations. A recent survey of 18-34 years old Americans indicate that a whopping 46% do not belong to any religious organizations. Another survey showed that less than 1% of 18-23 year old Americans believe in a Christian religion. The attraction to the occult and Satanism are growing at an alarming rate in the United States as well as worldwide. There are now approximately 31,000 different types of witchcraft or spiritualism worship sects around the world and they are demanding to be recognized as a major religion. {3}

A few added bits of information about the spread of Witchcraft in the U.S.

In 1975 The Covenant of the Goddess is formed to incorporate hundreds of separate Wiccan covens. It is officially recognized as a church in the United States. {4]

In 1985 The District Court of Virginia declares that Wicca is a legitimate religion protected by the First Amendment. {4]

As spiritualism and the occult are interrelated with death and the afterlife, let's check the Bible and see what it has to say about death, and what happens after the body becomes lifeless and enters the grave.

The best place to start is at the beginning in the book of Genesis.
Genesis 2:7 tells us the following; 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

According to this verse God created man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed life into a lifeless form, causing the lifeless form to become a living soul.

Now that we know where man came from, let's find out where he goes after the breath of life leaves him.

We previously showed in Ecc.12:7 what happens at death. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
At the moment of death the breath of life, (the spirit) is returned back to God. Our bodies have become lifeless and no longer exist in this world. The book of Ecclesiastes explains further.

Eccl. 9:5-6 says, 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten 6 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.

So according to Ecclesiastes, when we die, we are no longer aware of anything around us, forever. We can't hear, talk, see, or walk around as a ghost, we can't participate in anything. We no longer exist in spirit or human form. We are relegated to something of a deep sleep not to be awakened until Jesus himself returns on that glorious resurrection morning to retrieve his Church and destroy the wicked of this world. At this time only, will the dead (in Christ) rise from the graves. The unsaved or lost will not be resurrected at this time according to Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection

In Genesis 3:19, God tells Adam, "19 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return

Job 7:9, 10 has even more to say about our demise. 9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him anymore.

If we are in the grave and reverting back to dust as God said, and vanish away as the clouds, as Job alludes to, then who are the people, which the mediums and psychics, claim are the departed family and friends of the ones they are communicating with?

According to God's word these are not our departed family or friends, but are evil spirits who have taken on the form of our departed, seducing us into believing we are hearing from our departed loved ones.
Satan and his demons are very cunning and deceitful, fooling even the most knowledgeable among the human race.
Look at the advertisements for palm reading, fortune telling, spiritual advisors. People are abandoning God's warning concerning the dangers of these spiritualists. People are contacting them in droves seeking advice on their mates, children, lottery numbers, job, etc. The daily horoscopes in the newspapers are followed diligently by millions who pattern their lives around what the horoscope presents for a particular day.
President Ronald Reagan's wife, Nancy, had a personal spiritual advisor whom she consulted on a regular basis, as reported by the news media.

God has warned us of the evil dimension which we are surrounded by, and the pitfalls which will result from our indulgences into these areas. King Saul was rewarded with death because of his dabbling into the occult.

Look around at the atrocious and heinous crimes being committed with ever increasing frequency across this country. The perpetrators are claiming to have heard voices telling them to commit these acts of violence.

It is estimated that there are over 200,000 practicing witches in the United States, but bear in mind that most will not admit to being a practicing witch, so the figure could be much higher.

In Deut.18:10-12 God's warning is precise 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

By following horoscopes, consulting mediums, trying to conjure up spells or use magic we are committing an abomination to our Creator God and by doing so he has assured us that we will be driven out from before him.

We need to turn our trials and troubles over to Jesus and seek his guidance in our daily lives rather than rely on a daily horoscope, or what position the planets are in at a certain time. The only spirit we should be consulting is the Holy Spirit and following his guidance and we will never be misled.

We have seen through the several verses in this article that we are in the grave after death and not roaming around. The ones doing the roaming are the evil spirits from the other dimension that God has warned us about. The verses I have cited are only a few which I pray will give you sufficient information to do your personal studying of God's holy word and seek out the truth and a personal relationship with Jesus. Once you accept that relationship you will have all the power you need to tackle some of life's hardest trials. An excellent book of the Bible to read is Job. No other person on earth was tested harsher than Job, yet his faith in God pulled him through and he became a better man and more blessed than before the afflictions began.

I am also giving you a list of some other texts in the Bible to read and study concerning death and the occult, but don't just read these verses, I suggest you read the entire chapter to get a better understanding of what is happening. By reading and studying these scriptures you will see a whole new world waiting to be explored, and the more you explore the world of God's word the better your life will become, because as you study you begin to understand things you have never thought about. God will open your mind and your heart to a more peaceful and blessed lifestyle.

Additional Texts: Spiritualism
Exodus 7:11-13 Leviticus 19:31 Leviticus 20:6,27 Deut. 18:10-12
1 Chronicles 10:13 Isa. 8:19,20 Rev.16:13-15
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 1Tim.4:1 Eze.33:11
Additional Texts: Death
Gen.2:7 Psalm 115:17 Job 7:9,10 James 2:26
Acts 2:29,34 John 11:11-14 Job 27:3 1 Cor.15:51,52
Psalm 13:3 Job 4:17 1 Thes.4:16,17 John 5:25-28
1 Tim.6:16 Eze.18:20 Eccl.9:10,5,6 Gen.3:4
{1} see Web site: www.silverravenwolf.com.
{2} Heresy in the Hood II, by Linda P. Harvey
{3} From Witchcraft, the Truth-by Witches, For Everyone
{4} From the website Book Rags

Copyright 2012 Paul L.Taylor all rights reserved REV.9/15/12 12/07/12 12/10/12
All Bible texts are from the King James Ver
I am a Contractor from S.C.,and just recently began writing. I have never written anything in my life other than a business letter and when I gave my life back over to the Lord, he moved me and gave me the inclination to write religious articles.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS