Are Ghosts In The Bible?

The word "Ghost" is used in only one of two ways in the King James Version of the Bible. The answer to the question, "Are There Ghosts In The Bible" is both yes and no. The word "Ghost" is used multiple times throughout the King James Version of the Bible.

The first way the word "Ghost" is used is when people die or pass away and their spirit leaves their body. A couple of examples are: Gen 5:28 "Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people." In this example, Abraham died and his spirit or "Ghost" left his body.

Mark 15:37 "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost." This is when Jesus dies on the cross and the spirit that indwelled His body departed.

The second way the word "Ghost" is used in the King James Version of the Bible is in reference to the "Holy Ghost".

A couple of examples are: Luke 2:26 "And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ." and Acts 4:8 "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,"

In the example of "gave up the ghost", the word "ghost" is interchangeable with the word spirit and even the word "soul" could be applied here.

In the example of "Holy Ghost", the word "ghost" is in reference to a divine spirit being that is part of the trinity of God. The Holy Ghost is a personality in the form of a spirit.

Are Ghosts In The Bible As Related to Hauntings?

The only example in the Bible speaking of the word "ghost" as pertaining to something that haunts a house or person is the story of Jesus walking on the water during a storm with His disciples on a boat seeing Him walking on the water. The Bible tells us, "And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear." Matthew 14:26 In some versions of the Bible the word spirit is translated as "ghost".

The reaction of the disciples seeing Jesus walking on the water shows that they were familiar with ghost stories and probably stories of haunted people and places. I imagine the disciples were relieved to discover it was Jesus walking on the water as well as astounded by that fact. In light of the fact that Jesus did not rebuke the disciples here, it could very well be that the disciples thought they were seeing the manifestation of a demonic spirit. The disciples did cast out demons in the name of Jesus so this was something they would have been familiar with.

This is the only reference in the Bible that refers to a spirit or "ghost" as something related to a haunting. There is no passage in the Bible that talks about "ghosts" as the spirits of dead people hanging around on Earth haunting houses or graveyards or anything like that.

In fact the Bible is very clear on what happens to a person after they die. Hebrews 9:27 states, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

Where does the spirit of a man or woman go after death? This question is answered in Ecclesiastes 12:7 "Then the dust (man's body) will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it." It is also answered in Psalm 146:4 "His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish."

The previous three Bible passages teach that when a man or woman dies, the body goes back into the ground while the spirit returns to God. God then allows that spirit to remain in heaven or that spirit is cast into hell depending on whether or not that person had accepted the gift of pardon that Jesus offered on the cross when He willingly died on the cross to pay for the sins of all of mankind.

If the word "Ghost" in the Bible does not mean a "Ghost" that haunts, then what are the "Ghosts" that are caught on film and haunt people and places?

The subject of "ghosts" is a very popular one in today's world. People love to hear a good "ghost" story but what drives these stories? When you hear what people believe about "ghosts", the ideas are many. Sometimes it is the spirit of someone who has passed on but is confused and not aware that they are dead. Some "spirits" or "ghosts" have to be told they need to go to the "light" so they can move on. Mediums and so called psychics try to contact the dead on behalf of the living.

The Bible forbids contacting the dead. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 states, "10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead." NLT.

Why would the Bible forbid contacting the spirits of the dead? The reality here is that anyone who thinks they are speaking with the dead or trying to contact the dead are actually dealing with demonic spirits. Everything associated with Satan and his demonic minions is intended to deceive with the end game being to kill, steal and destroy.

My mother was always interested in ghosts and hauntings so I grew up hearing and watching stories about ghosts and hauntings. Cemeteries would creep me out as I imagined the "ghosts" of the people buried there would somehow haunt the graveyard. Now that I know the truth, cemeteries don't bother me at all. In fact I practically have a very large cemetery in my back yard. Only a few trees separate my back yard from one of the largest cemeteries in the county I live in.

Most people think ghost stories and such are harmless but they are not if those stories keep you from believing the truth about what the Bible teaches.

My personal belief is that most "ghosts and hauntings" are caused by demonic spirits. That belief is based on what the Bible teaches.

In some cases I think "ghosts and hauntings" may be a result of some kind of natural phenomena. For example, when a light or apparition appears in the same location over and over again. Those type of things may be just nature's way of playing back an event that was recorded in history in the same way we see television programs played back over and over again. 

Are the Unclean Spirits of the Bible the same as what we call Ghosts today?

The Bible does mention the term "unclean spirit or spirits" on several occasions. In every case, the term refers to an evil, demonic spirit. This means that demons are real and not just fodder for myths, fairy tales, and movies. Matthew 10:1 states, "And when he had called unto him twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and disease."

In this example, "unclean spirits" are demonic spirits. These spirits have the power to possess and influence human beings. The most foolish thing that people do when they are investigating or visiting supposedly haunted places is trying to make contact with the spirits. For them it is just a game. For the unclean spirits it is an opportunity. From a spiritual perspective this is extremely dangerous.

What people do when they try to make contact with spirits is open a portal for the spirits to enter into. When you start to see apparitions and objects moving by themselves, you think you are viewing ghostly activity but the truth is the demonic or unclean spirits are manifesting themselves and these spirits feed on fear.

Ghosts are real but they are not the spirits of human beings, they are demonic in nature.

Mark 1:22-24 states, "And they were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And their was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." In this passage, it clearly shows that Jesus has authority over the unclean spirits. The unclean spirits do not follow Jesus but when He gives a command they have no choice but to obey.

Matthew 10:1 states, "And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." In this passage, Jesus gave His disciples authority over demonic spirits. Every Christian on this planet is a disciple of Christ. Every true Christian has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Every true Christian has the authority to tell demonic spirits to flee and the evil spirits have no choice but to obey.

Some demonic spirits are powerful and require a period of fasting before they can be sent away.

I have heard and seen many stories of places that were supposedly haunted where the demonic activity in those places ceased once the name of Jesus was invoked.

Revelation 16:13 & 14 states, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 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." This passage shows us that Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet are all indwelt by an unclean spirit. It also shows that the unholy trinity have the power to work miracles. These miracles have but one goal and that is to deceive people with the end game being that these people rebel against God so that they end up in hell for all of eternity.

Unclean spirits are demonic spirits. They are the same as what people call "ghosts". Their goal is to destroy by deception. There is a lyric in a song that says, "I ain't afraid of no ghost." If you don't have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you should be.

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