When I say I believe in Ghosts I mean just one thing, and that is that they are dead humans, meaning those who have once lived normal lives on earth in time, who have the capacity to still communicate in some way with living human beings.

1. A STUDY OF GHOSTS
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
When I say I believe in Ghosts I mean just one thing, and that is that they are dead
humans, meaning those who have once lived normal lives on earth in time, who have
the capacity to still communicate in some way with living human beings. This
eliminates all the issues of demons and fallen angels and any other supernatural
beings that might exist. Ghosts are just people who have died in their fleshly bodies
but who still have the ability, by God's chosing, to communicate.
Jesus had not died yet, but was thought to be a ghost because of his walking on the
water at night.
Mark 6:49 - 50: 'but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a
ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he
spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
Matthew 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,
Matthew and Mark say that they thought they were seeing a phantasma, a ghost.
They believed in the reality of ghosts.
one of the ghosts of the Bible were evil, nor was there any intent to frighten or
scare anyone. They were all godly people who came to communicate.
Ghost stories around the campfire are designed to scare and are not dealing with
real ghosts, but demonic spirits. Spiritual warfare has nothing to do with ghosts.
Warfare is with spiritual enemies of the spirit world and not ghosts. Even if there
are cases of evil ghosts, that is evil people allowed to communicate with other
humans, they are not the enemy any more than evil people all around us are the
enemy. All the ghosts in the Bible are like Casper the friendly ghost, and there is no
record of any evil ghost and so it could be there are no bad ones and all that seems
so are demonic spirits and not human spirits at all.
In his resurrected body Jesus became what was technically called a ghost. A dead
man retured to the realm of the living with abilities he did not have before, such as
walking through walls and travelling by thought and so able to disappear instantly.
Technically, to say you don't believe in ghosts is to say you don't believe Jesus rose
from the dead and communicated with humans. He did ghost-like things-
* He appeared and vanished at will (Luke 24: 30-36).
* He entered rooms though locked doors (John 20:19 & 26).
* He evidenced control over nature (John 21: 1-6).
* He accurately foretold the future (John 21:17-25).
* He could be with familiar friends and not be recognized until he chose to be
(Luke 24: 13-31).

2. * He displayed telepathic ability in knowing the content of conversations which
took place when he was not present (John 20: 24-29).
Even his disciples doubted that it was really Him they saw, and at one point
“They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit”
(Luke 24:37).
CHRISTIA GHOSTS STORIES
J.B. Phillips and the ghost of Lewis
C.S. Lewis had some fascinating thoughts on this, and he himself appeared in one of
the most celebrated and redemptive recorded ghost sightings ever: Moments after
his death at Cambridge, he appeared in the bedroom of J.B. Phillips at Oxford [a
dear friend of his, the one who translated the Bible in the Phillips translation.
Phillips also wrote the fabulous little book, Your God is Too Small].
At the time, J. B. Phillips was in a deep depression that threatened his life. He
refused to leave his chambers, refused proper food or exercise, and seriously
questioned the love and election of God [in his life]. It was in this state of
detachment and depression, leading to his early death…that suddenly, a ruddy and
glowing Lewis stood before him, entering his room through closed doors -- a
“healthy Lewis, hearty and glowing” as Phillips was later to record.
In this vision, Lewis only spoke only one sentence to Phillips: ‘J.B., it’s not as hard
as you think.’ One solitary sentence, the meaning of which is debated! But what is
not debated is the effect of that sentence. It snapped Phillips out of his depression,
and set him again following God. After Lewis spoke that cryptic sentence, he
disappeared.
Phillips came out of his chambers only to find that Lewis had died moments before
the appearance, miles away. He pondered this in his heart, with wonder, and never
returned to his depression. ow, was this a case of God giving a detour of a soul on
the way to heaven to a special friend, to save him? Who knows? But again, it is
recorded evidence of the highest order, by persons of the highest order: Lewis and
Phillips. It is a ghost story, a benevolent one, to all appearances – actually, not only
benevolent, but redemptive [which I would take as an element of authenticity]. Loy
Mershimer
C. S. Lewis had a ghost experience himself when his wife died, and he writes about
it.
"It's the quality of last night's experience - not what it proves but what it was -
that makes it worth putting down. It was quite incredibly unemotional. Just the
impression of her mind momentarily facing my own. Mind, not "soul" as we tend to
think of soul. Certainly the reverse of what is called "soulful." ot at all like a

3. rapturous reunion of lovers. Much more like getting a telephone call or a wire from
her about some practical arrangement. ot that there was any "message" - just
intelligence and attention. o sense of joy or sorrow. o love even, in our ordinary
sense. o un-love. I had never in any mood imagined the dead as being so - well, so
business-like. Yet there was an extreme and cheerful intimacy. An intimacy that had
not passed through the senses or the emotions at all.
. . . A Greek philosopher wouldn't have been surprised at an experience like mine.
He would have expected that if anything of us remained after death it would be just
that. Up to now this always seemed to me a most arid and chilling idea. The absence
of emotion repelled me. But in this contact (whether real or apparent) it didn't do
anything of the sort. One didn't need emotion. The intimacy was complete - sharply
bracing and restorative too - without it.
. . . Once very near the end I said, "If you can - if it is allowed - come to me when I
too am on my death bed." "Allowed!" she said. "Heaven would have a job to hold
me; and as for Hell, I'd break it into bits." She knew she was speaking a kind of
mythological language, with even an element of comedy in it. There was a twinkle as
well as a tear in her eye. But there was no myth and no joke about the will, deeper
than any feeling, that flashed through her."
(A Grief Observed, Toronto: Bantam Books edition, 1961, 85-88)
Christian writer Sheldon Vanauken wrote of his experience with his dead wife in his
book A Severe Mercy. He gives a detailed recounting of an encounter with his wife
while sleeping, including communication; what he describes as "a vision dream."
ACTS 16:9-10
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and
prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into
Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel
unto them.
ACTS 27:23-24
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath
given thee all them that sail with thee.
otice that there is a clear distinction, for an angel spoke in Acts 27, but a man in
Acts 16. This makes it possible for a man to speak from the spirit realm to another
human being. This would support after death communication.
This study is important because many have an absolute dogmatic stand on ghosts
that deprives God of the freedom of using the dead to achieve his purposes in

4. history. For example: K. B. apier author of many articles on Christian Doctrine
writes-
"This is a great error, for all ghosts, without exception, are demons - wicked angels,
followers of Satan whose only task on this earth is to deceive and to harm. We are
told this in scripture. We are also told that no man has ever returned from the
dead, except for Jesus Christ and those He raised from the dead as special miracles.
Ghosts are never friendly. They are always wicked, even if they appear to be kind.
Their purpose is to make us believe they are spirits of the dead. Once they manage
to delude us, they continue to hold our attention, so that any belief we may have in
God as He is presented in scripture, is eroded to nothing." The fear of being led
astray by evil and folly leads him to deny any positive in the subject of ghosts. That
is why I stress paradox all the time, for just because something is evil and dangerous
need not deprive us of the good and postive reality-sex being the most obvious
example.
There are dead people brought back to life who have some amazing experiences, but
they are not ghosts, for they are just restored to their former self and not part of the
spirit world like ghosts are.
John W. Cowart. In modern times, there have been a number of documented cases
where people have been revived from death-bed experiences. Some have been
resuscitated after being declared clinically dead by doctors. In a seminar given in
Jacksonville, Florida, on February 16, 1976, Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, prominent
psychiatrist recognized as a specialist in the area of death and dying and author of
several books on the subject, recounted several factors which these revived people
seem to have experienced in common. According to Dr. Kubler-Ross these common
experiences include:
* Full awareness of the moment of death
* Consciousness of that the doctors were saying and doing in the operating room
* A sense of floating above their bodies
* A feeling of great peace
* A Complete lack of fear of dying after they have been revived.
Some of these people tell of seeing pure light and meeting some religious
figure who helps them with the transition between life and death.
But none of the people who have had these revival experiences can do any of
the things that are attributed to the resurrected Jesus!
They do not display any ghostly qualities or paranormal abilities. They are
essentially the same people with the same normal abilities both before and after
their encounter with death.

5. The Bible makes it clear that we are not to seek any communication from the dead.
This is forbidden over and over, but when a person gets such communication
without any seeking of a medium, it can be legitimate and comforting.
"There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as
an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a
sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer [see Witches
And Sorcerers]. For whoever does these things is an abomination to The Lord; and
because of these abominable practices The Lord your God is driving them out
before you." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12 RSV)
There are other communications from the spiritual world that are perfectly
legitimate. Angels are used often in the Bible to communicate the will of God to
humans. On the other hand you have communication from Satan and his deamons
also. Jesus had such communication in his temptation in the wilderness. But these
are not ghosts issues even though spiritual communications. Ghosts need to be
limited to dead humans.
THE WITCH OF E DOR Based on I Sam. 28:3-19
Many have called this a fake and demonic, but it is reading something in that is not
there.
Others interpreters, however, recognize that you can go so far with the skeptical
attitude that you deny the reality of the supernatural altogether, and they recognize
this is not biblical. They go back to Augustine's idea of demons. Luther said, "the
raising of Samuel....was certainly merely a spectre of the devil." Calvin said, "It is
certain that it was not really Samuel, for God would never have allowed His
prophets to be subjected to such diabolical conjury." This view says something very
strange and supernatural did happen, but it was the devil doing it and not God. This
is probably the most widely held view today. It is real but it is demonic.
ow we want to look at the view that it was literally true that there was
communication with the dead Samuel. Modern commentators can no longer view
this as fake because of the evidence that the powers of the occult world are real. The
biblical author of this account does not hint that there is any trickery here. As an
historian he would have an obligation to let us know if this was an event of
deception, but he does not. He writes as if this is a true historical account of the
actual appearance of Samuel. He does not say it was demonic, and so this idea is
imposed on the text and is not drawn out of the text. What gives anyone the right to
say, that even though the author of the Bible says it was Samuel, it was really a

6. demon impersonating him. Once allow this kind of interpreting and any subjective
interpretation is permissible. The Bible then becomes completely at the mercy of
man's subjective imagination. It can be made to mean whatever he thinks it should
mean.
The only safe and honest way to look at this passage is to take it literal. Even
Merril F. Unger, who is an authority on biblical demonology, and who wrote a
whole book on Bishop Pike's communication with his son, in which he concludes
that the communication was demonic, says that we have here an authentic case of
the dead Samuel speaking with the living Saul. Unger in his book Biblical
Demonology argues strongly for seeing this as unique and exceptional, however, and
that it was totally God's doing and not by the power of the medium. This seems to
be the conviction among evangelicals.
Some of the arguments for an authentic appearance are these: If she was faking
the whole thing, she was not very wise in her strategy, for she told Saul nothing but
the worst news possible. If she was going to deceive him she would want him to hear
good news and not the worst news. God does use that which is otherwise off limits
in exceptional situations. He used astrologers to see the star of Bethlehem and come
to honor His Son. He used the false prophet Balaam to speak the truth. He used
Ruth as a link to His Son even though she was from the forbidden people, the
Moabites.
The Pulpit Commentary says, "There is nothing incredible in the existence of
departed spirits, nor in their employment when God has a fit purpose to accomplish
through them. G. Campbell Morgan writes, "That he did appear to Saul, there can
be no question, but he did not come in response to her call."" John R. Rice takes the
same view, and he says that God did it to rebuke Saul. The reality of it is no
justification for it, however, for it is clearly forbidden. Murder is real too, but that
doesn't make it okay. This communication with the dead was real, but it does not
give any justification for going to a medium.
Others are not satisfied with making God responsible for this which He had
forbidden. They argue that if God would not speak to Saul by any of the regular
channels, why would He speak through a forbidden one? They prefer to admit that
it was really Samuel, but grant the powers of the medium to really break through to
the spirit world. This is the way all spiritualists interpret the account, and thereby
find biblical evidence to back up their powers. Modern interpreters are going back
to Augustine in the 4th century who took the powers of the occult seriously. He
wrote of this event: "Thus by some hidden dispensation of the divine will, the
prophet allowed himself to made use of even as our Lord Himself in the days of His
humiliation submitted to be taken by Satan, and set by him on the pinnacle of the
temple."
Whatever conclusion we come to, whether it be divine or demonic power, the
fact is that the Bible supports the possibility of communication with the dead. The
Jews believed it and other Scriptures make it evident. Moses and Elijah returned

7. from the spirit world to talk to Jesus before He entered that realm Himself. o one
who believes the Bible will argue that this was deception or demonic. The modern
interpreters argue that Samuel's communication from the dead was a reality.
DEAD ME DO TALK Based on Luke 16:19-31
MOSES A D ELIJAH I MARK 9:2-13 They were communicating with Jesus, and
so Jesus believed in ghosts, for he talked with them and the Apostles saw them if not
able to hear them. ll
II KI GS 13:20-21 A dead man's bones had the power to give life to the dead.
Jesus was thought to be a ghost, but when he rose from the dead he passed through
walls and could disappear at will. He communicated with his Apostles for 40 days
before he ascended. This is what a ghost is. The dead coming back into history and
doing some communicating with those who have not died.
GHOSTS OF THE GODLY Bases on Matt. 27:52-3
By Pastor Glenn Pease
History is full of the weird and mysterious in relation to the dead. In Barbados,
in the West Indies, in 1812, a vault was opened and three coffins were in a confused
state. In 1815 and 1819 it was opened, and again, each time the coffins were in
disarray. The Governor, Lord Cambermere had the vault carefully checked and
cemented up and sealed. ine months later it was opened in his presence with
thousands of spectators. To everyone's amazement the coffins were scattered about,
one was on end, and some on top of others. o one could explain it, and so it
entered the books as another ghost story, along with hundreds of other unexplained
mysteries.
Christianity has always been involved in the history of the unexplained, because
it too deals with the supernatural. Many of the haunted houses of history have been
parsonages, and you wouldn't believe all the weird goings on that preachers have
experienced. Much of the history of ghost haunting and hunting has been written
by Christian men. For example, Sabine Baring Gould, author of Onward Christian
Soldiers, who died in 1924 at the age of 90, wrote much about ghosts, and his own
brother was seen by his mother after his death.
Ludwig Levater, a Protestant Calvinist minister in Switzerland wrote a book in
1572 with the title, Of Ghosts and Spirits Walking By ight. He believed that the
dead could appear, but felt most ghosts were due to hallucination and pranks. He

8. told of how merry young men would throw sheets over themselves and scare the wits
out of travelers at Inns. Sometimes they even went so far as to hide under the bed.
Ghosts are still a part of most Halloween parties today, but they are so tame that
seldom will a ghost ever win a prize.
There was a young man of Bengal,
Who went to a Halloween ball.
He thought he would risk it,
And go as a biscuit,
But a dog ate him up in the hall.
He would have been better off as a ghost. This type of humor was not
appreciated by the Catholic Church. They officially believed in ghosts, and took the
matter quite seriously. In 1509 when four monks came to John Jetzer at night with
sheets over them to give him some theological answers from the other world, they
were caught, and made to give up the ghost in more ways than one, for they were
condemned to die at the stake. Some people just can't take a joke. That phrase,
giving up the ghost, is used 5 times in the King James Version to refer to the death
of Jesus on the cross, and it is used also to describe the dying of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob.
The ghost, of course, refers to the spirit of man. Only once did we find a
reference to a ghost in its eerie supernatural sense in the ew Testament. When
Jesus came walking for the disciples on the sea, in the night, we read in Matt. 14:26,
"But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It
is a ghost!" and they cried out for fear." Any of us seeing a white figure moving
across the water in the night would jump to that same conclusion that it must be a
ghost. Mark tells us the same thing, and both use the word phantasma. This is the
only place where the word is used in Scripture. It does reveal that the disciples
believed in the possibly of ghosts. This is not surprising, for most everybody did in
their day.
The issue of the reality of ghosts revolves around the question of whether or not
the dead can ever return and appear unto men. The Catholic Church has concluded
that the dead in heaven or hell can never return, but the dead in purgatory might, if
God permitted.
Protestants concluded that all the visions and contact with the dead are simply
demons impersonating the dead. That is, they do not deny the evidence of the
supernatural appearances, but they feel it is demonic deception rather than the
return of the actual dead. The Catholic Church tended to support the stories of
good ghosts who would return to make up for their sins. They would haunt a
murderer until he confessed, or help solve some injustice and encourage the faithful.
The Puritans so objected to this that they went to the other extreme, and wanted
nothing to do with the dead, and so they ceased even to have funeral sermons.
The point of this introduction is to show that there has been a history of
Christian debate over ghosts. The debate goes on yet today, and there is a great

9. interest in the subject. Dorthy Scarborough in her book, Famous Modern Ghost
Stories writes, "Man's love for the supernatural, which is one of the most natural
things about him, was never more marked than at the present." Along with the
growing interest in the occult there are also a growing number of books on ghosts.
Shopenhower asserted that belief in ghosts is born with man, and that no one is free
from it. It is true that such beliefs are found in all lands and ages, but it is not true
everywhere. I asked my three children if they believed in ghosts, and they thought it
was silly. Mark even said that is like believing in Santa Claus.
Most American Christians would be highly skeptical of anything to do with
ghosts, and I am sure most of us would fit this category. I'm not interested in
looking at ghost evidence, but our text brings us into a realm far more mysterious
than any story you ever heard of
about ghosts. Some believe these dead raised to life were ghosts. It all depends on
your definition. My interest in the passage is to point out how much more
mysterious reality is than fiction. People flock to see horror movies with all the
terror of ghouls, vampires, and monsters of every sort. Blood flows freely, and
people get their sadistic kicks out of it all. But its all fiction, and everybody knows
it, even those who scream and get goose pimples.
But our text, and the whole of Matt. 27 is a record of historical fact. This chapter
is so filled with evil and horror, and supernatural mystery, that if we could see it
portrayed as it really happened, it would make the Hollywood horror films look like
bedtime stories. I defy anyone to show me anywhere in all the literature of history a
record of more horror and mystery than we have here in Matt. 27.
It begins with the evil satanic inspired plot to kill the Son of God. It records His
capture and deliverance to Pilate. Secondly, it tells of the stricken conscience of
Judas, and his terrible despair that ended in a most gruesome suicide. Thirdly, we
have here a supernatural dream of Pilate's wife giving warning. Fourthly, we have
the demonic plot successfully carried out of releasing a known criminal, who was
Barabbas. Fifthly, we have the cry of the cruel mob saying, "Crucify Him and let
His blood be upon us and our children." Sixthly, we have the inhuman mockery,
and the crowning of Jesus with thorns. Seventhly, we have the scene of dying men
forced to drag their cross to the place of skull-Golgatha. It was a place of horror
and death. Eighthly, we begin to see the whole creation involved in this most
supernatural event. At noon the sun goes black and for three hours the land is
draped in darkness. othing Hollywood could do could ever match such a setting
for the conflict of good and evil. inethly, near the end of darkness a blood curdling
cry came from the middle cross, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
There is more horror and mystery per verse here than anywhere in God's Word,
or in all creation. If the world is hungry for the mysterious and supernatural let
them read the Bible, and let us who believe it share it, and let the world know. We
have a text that should be a thrill to anyone who longs for more insight into the
supernatural. It is a text that has a fantastic history, and more implications than we
can begin to cover. It raises many questions that nobody can answer. It leaves

10. commentators mystified, and many just skip over it. Christians are often afraid of
the supernatural, and text like this bother them, and so they ignore them. People
say they believe the Bible, but if you ask them if they believe any have ever risen
from the dead, and come out of tombs, and appeared unto others, they would write
you off as some kind of a kook. Most Christians are not even aware this passage is
in the Bible.
Maybe some would like to believe it is one of those passages that got into the
Bible by mistake. o chance, for there is scarcely a scholar anywhere who does not
agree that this is a part of God's original revelation. It is as authentic as John 3:16.
There is no escaping it, and so we must treat it as God's revelation, and incorporate
it into our theology. The earthquake, the tearing of the veil in the temple, and
tombs being opened, are all connected, and each has a valuable message to convey.
We are focusing our attention on the saints who rose from the tombs. An unknown
poet has put the whole scene into poetry.
The graves flew open, and exposed their store,
And into bodies shook the human ore;
The temple corner-stones were seen to yield,
And to and fro the laboring fabric reeled,
The hallowed loaves were thrown the floor about,
And the seven golden burning lamps went out.
The sacred incense lost its odorous scent,
The awful veil was into pieces rent.
Heaven and hell were locked in mortal combat. The destiny of men in the world
was being decided. And because Jesus, through death, conquered death, and
delivered those in bondage by destroying the power of the devil, even Hollywood
knows that the way to deal with Dracula is by means of the cross. Here we have the
real war to end all wars, for this war opened the way to eternal peace with God.
The open tombs and risen saints bore testimony to the cataclysmic effects of the
cross. The magnitude of what Jesus did in dying could not be revealed except by a
very extraordinary miracle. The Roman Centurion was so impressed by the
supernatural effects of Christ's death he confessed that He was the Son of God.
Luke 23:48 says, "And all the multitude who assembled to see the sight, when they
saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts." We cannot be
touched that deeply, but lets see what we can learn about these temporary tenants of
the tombs. The first question we will look at is-
I. WHO? Who were these saints whose bodies came to life again? There are two
views. They could be saints of the Old Testament, or as most believe, they could be
believers in Christ who died during His ministry. If the thief on the cross was
promised an entrance into paradise that very day, what about those who believed
before the cross, but who had died already? Would they be blessed with a destiny
less than that thief because they died sooner? Most say no, for it is fitting that all
the followers of Christ would join Him in this conquering of death. Some
commentators mention such people as Joseph the husband of Mary, and Simeon,

11. and John the Baptist. The evidence does support the view that these were Christian
saints rather than Old Testament saints. The word for saints is used only here in
the Gospels, but everywhere else in the ew Testament it always refers to
Christians. If we go to be with Christ when we die, why should all of those who died
during His life not join Him immediately in entering paradise? The day of
resurrection was not only for the head, but for all of the Body that had been dead up
to that point. The second question is -
II. HOW? Were they raised like Lazarus in their natural body which would be
subject again to death? Were they raised as was Jesus with spiritual bodies, able to
appear and disappear, and ascend with Him to paradise? Again we can only make
intelligent speculation in an area of such unusual mystery. Either view is adequate.
If they arose in their natural body, they did not have to die and be buried again, but
could have ascended like Enoch and Elijah did in their natural bodies. Most
everyone agrees that these saints did ascend with Christ, and did not have to die
again. Spurgeon felt they were given the spiritual body we all we have in the day of
resurrection. He said of them, "How I should like to know something about them!
They were representative men; they arose as specimens of the way in which all the
saints shall in their due time arise." There is no way to be sure of the nature of their
bodies, but if they were raised with bodies like Jesus, bodies that could disappear
and go through walls, then they would fit the description of what we think of as
ghosts. In many lands the ghost has a body identical to its body of flesh, and it can
eat and even marry, and none can tell the difference. If such be the case here, we
have the ghosts of the godly. The third question is-
III. WHE ? In verse 53 Matthew makes it clear that it was after the resurrection
of Christ that the saints came out of the tombs and appeared to others. The timing
is important because the Scripture makes it clear that Jesus was the first born from
the dead, and that He was the first fruits of those who slept. The resurrection of
Christ would be anti-climatic if the saints had appeared before Him. The Christians
would not have doubted the resurrection of Jesus if they had already seen dead
friends and relatives who had come back to life.
The text says that the earthquake prepared the way for this resurrection by
opening the tombs. The earthquake did not wake the dead. The tombs were open
as Jesus died, and no one did anything about closing them up, for to touch a tomb or
body would defile them,
and they would be eliminated from participation in the Passover events. We have
here the weirdest weekend of the world's history. You can search the records and
you will never find an earthquake in history that added to the world population.
They all subtract but this one. Earthquakes are a mouth of death swallowing up
people, but here is one, like the great fish of Jonah, vomiting up the captives into
life. There were more people alive after this earthquake than before it began.
ature helped Jesus literally rob the graves. Jesus was the greatest grave robber of
all time, and He is not through yet, for He says in John 5:28-29, "Do not marvel at
this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and
come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who

12. have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment." All the spook shows of the world
are kids stuff compared to what our Lord has done and will do in the display of
supernatural power. The final question is-
IV. WHY? Did Jesus just have a flare for the spectacular, or was there a good
reason for these saints rising and appearing? Obviously there was purpose, and
some reasons are evident. Jesus could do many things as the Son of God that no one
else could do. If He rose from the dead alone, it would still not be evidence that
anyone else could do so. In these saints, however, we have a concrete example of the
power of the resurrection. If Jesus entered death and set the captives free, then
there should be evidence of it, and these saints were that evidence. John Calvin in
his commentary on Matthew writes,
"Christ, in rising from the dead, brought others along with Him out of their graves
as His companions. ow by this sign it was made evident, that He neither died nor
rose again in a private capacity, but in order to shed the odor of life on all
believers." There was more than one empty tomb on that first Easter. Because
Jesus died and rose again, there were godly ghosts who walked the earth, and they
represent, not just the victory of Jesus over death, but the victory of all who put
their trust in Him.
GHOSTS HU TERS
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many times since. The course has been shipped all over the world.
The Christian is caught in a paradox, for we believe that the Holy Ghost or now
better known as the Holy Spirit can and does speak to people and give guidance and
even words to speak. But the spirt world is full of deception also and not to be
trusted.
"Emanuel Swedenborg, the famous seer of the eighteenth century, was well
acquainted with the spirit world, having experienced detailed visions recorded later
in book form. evertheless, he cautioned those courting the spirits: "When spirits
begin to speak with a man, he ought to beware that he believes nothing whatever
from them; for they say almost anything. Things are fabricated by them, and they
lie... they would tell so many lies and indeed with solemn affirmation that a man
would be astonished...if a man listens and believes they press on, and deceive, and
seduce." (Samuel M. Warren, A Compendium of the Theological Writings of
Emmanuel Swedenborg ( ew York: Swedenborg Foundation, 1977, p. 618. As
quoted in Douglas Groothuis, Revealing the ew Age Jesus, p. 210.)

13. Interestingly, the Bible tells us that the ruler of dark spiritual world, Satan, is the
author of lies. Jesus said of this spirit:
"He [the Devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for
there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar
and the father of lies." (John 8:44)
"But the Spirit [the Holy Spirit] explicitly says that in later times some will fall away
from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons..." (1
Tim. 4:1).
AFTER DEATH COMMU ICATIO
An After-Death Communication (ADC) is a spiritual experience, which occurs when
you are contacted directly and spontaneously by a deceased family member or
friend, without the use of psychics, mediums, rituals, or devices of any kind. It's
estimated that 50-100 million Americans - 20-40% of the population of the United
States - have had one or more ADC experiences. Therefore, ADCs provide
convincing new evidence for life after death.
The ADC Project was created in May, 1988 to conduct the first in-depth research of
After-Death Communications. The founders, Bill Guggenheim and Judy
Guggenheim, interviewed 2,000 people who live in all 50 American states and the 10
Canadian provinces. They collected more than 3,300 firsthand accounts from people
who believe they have been contacted by a loved one who had died.
"The truth is that over 60% of the population reports that they have felt some
connection, some communication, with someone that has passed on. And as results-
based and empirical as I am, I have to say I’m among that 60%, but it certainly
wasn’t through a psychic."
Dr. Phil McGraw
"The Dr. Phil Show" on December 20, 2004
By John Hooper
London Observer Service

14. ROME – One of the most authoritative spokesmen of the Roman Catholic Church
has raised eyebrows among the faithful by declaring that the Church believes in the
feasibility of communication with the dead.
The Rev. Gino Concetti, chief theological commentator for the Vatican newspaper,
L’Osservatore Romano, denied he was signaling any change in approach. But he
agreed that his remarks might come as a jolt to many believers.
He said the Church remained opposed to the raising of spirits, but added:
"Communication is possible between those who live on this earth and those who live
in a state of eternal repose, in heaven or purgatory. It may even be that God lets our
loved ones send us messages to guide us at certain moments in our life."
His comments were first made in support of an American theologian, the Rev. John
euhaus. euhaus had described how a friend had seen a ghost. He said there were
various explanations, but "the important thing is not to deny such things a
priority."
Concetti said the key to the Church’s attitude was the Roman Catholic belief in a
"Communion of Saints," which included Christians on earth as well as those in the
after-life. "Where there is communion, there is communication," he said.
Concetti suggested dead relatives could be responsible for prompting impulses and
triggering inspiration - and even for "sensory manifestations," such as appearances
in dreams.
BAR A STUDY
And one-third of Americans (34%) believe that it is possible to communicate with
others after their death. As evidence that this belief is gaining traction, consider that
nearly half of all Busters (48%) embrace the concept of communication with the
dead, while just 35% of Boomers (39-57) and 15% of Elders (ages 58+) do so. 29 %
OF BOR AGAI CHRISTIA S BELIEVE THERE IS COMMU ICATIO
WITH THE DEAD.
COMMU IO OF SAI TS
All Saints Day is a pointer to what we all ought to be, the epitome of holiness that we
all need to strive after.
I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.

15. And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green;
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too.
They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
and his love made them strong;
and they followed the right for Jesus' sake
the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
and one was slain by a fierce wild beast;
and there's not any reason, no, not the least,
why I shouldn't be one too.
They lived not only in ages past;
there are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
who love to do Jesus' will.
You can meet them in school, on the street, in the store,
in church, by the sea, in the house next door;
they are saints of God, whether rich or poor,
and I mean to be one too.
Witnesses of Hebrews 12:1
This is the Greek word martus, from which is derived the English word "martyr."
1) Greek-English Lexicon of the ew Testament (Joseph H. Thayer, Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker Book House, 4th ed., 1977; orig. 1901, p. 392) defines it - as used in this
verse - as follows:
One who is a spectator of anything, e.g. of a contest, Heb 12:1.
[Strong's word #3144; similar usages cited by Thayer: Lk 24:48; Acts 1:8; 1:22;
2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39; 13:31; 26:16; 1 Pet 5:1 - the sense is indisputable in these
other verses]
2) Word Studies in the ew Testament (Marvin R. Vincent, Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1980; orig. 1887; vol. 4, p. 536), another standard Protestant language
source, comments on this verse as follows:

16. 'Witnesses' does not mean spectators, but those who have borne witness to the
truth, as those enumerated in chapter 11. Yet the idea of spectators is implied, and is
really the principal idea. The writer's picture is that of an arena in which the
Christians whom he addresses are contending in a race, while the vast host of the
heroes of faith who, after having borne witness to the truth, have entered into their
heavenly rest, watches the contest from the encircling tiers of the arena, compassing
and overhanging it like a cloud, filled with lively interest and sympathy, and lending
heavenly aid.
3) Word Pictures in the ew Testament (A.T. Robertson [Baptist], ashville, T :
Broadman Press, 1932, vol. 5, p. 432), comments:
'Cloud of witnesses' (nephos marturon . . . The metaphor refers to the great
amphitheatre with the arena for the runners and the tiers upon tiers of seats rising
up like a cloud. The martures here are not mere spectators (theatai), but testifiers
(witnesses) who testify from their own experience (11:2,4-5,33,39) to God's fulfilling
promises as shown in chapter 11.
[ ote that the notion of "spectators" is the primary metaphor - the arena - so that
both meanings: that of spectators and witnesses in the sense of example are present.
either can be ruled out]
4) Theological Dictionary of the ew Testament, (ed. Gerhard Kittel & Gerhard
Friedrich; tr. and abridged by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1985; p. 567), an impeccable and widely-used linguistic (non-Catholic)
source, states:
In Heb. 12:1 the witnesses watching the race seem to be confessing witnesses (cf.
11:2), but this does not exclude the element of factual witness.
So our four non-Catholic language references all confirm that the element of
"spectatorship," which lends itself to the Catholic notion of communion of saints,
where saints in heaven are aware of, and observe events on earth, is present in
Hebrews 12:1, and cannot be ruled out by any means, on the basis of a doctrinal
bias.
What Are Ghosts?
-- from "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Heaven", by Dr. Peter Kreeft
(Ignatius Press, 1990).
"Without our action or invitation, the dead often do appear to the living. There is
enormous evidence of 'ghosts' in all cultures .... We can distinguish three kinds of
ghosts, I believe. First, the most familiar kind: the sad ones, the wispy ones. They

17. seem to be working out some unfinished earthly business, or suffering some
purgatorial purification until released from their earthly business. These ghosts
would seem to be the ones who just barely made it to Purgatory, who feel little or no
joy yet and who need to learn many painful lessons about their past life on earth."
"Second, there are malicious and deceptive spirits - and since they are_deceptive,
they hardly ever appear malicious. These are probably the ones who respond to
conjurings at seances. They probably come from Hell. Even the chance_of that
happening should be sufficient to terrify away all temptations to necromancy."
"Third, there are bright, happy spirits of dead friends and family, especially
spouses, who appear unbidden, at God's will, not ours, with messages of hope and
love. They seem to come from Heaven. Unlike the purgatorial ghosts who come back
primarily for their own sakes, these bright spirits come back for the sake of us the
living, to tell us all is well. They are aped by evil spirits who say the same, who speak
'peace, peace, when there is no peace'. But the deception works only one way: the
fake can deceive by appearing genuine, but the genuine never deceives by appearing
fake. Heavenly spirits always convince us that they are genuinely good. Even the
bright spirits appear ghostlike to us because a ghost of any type is one whose
substance does not belong in or come from this world. In Heaven these spirits are
not ghosts but real, solid and substantial because they are at home there: One can't
be a ghost in one's own country."
"That there are all three kinds of ghosts is enormously likely. Even taking into
account our penchant to deceive and be deceived, our credulity and fakery, there
remain so many trustworthy accounts of all three types of ghosts - trustworthy by
every ordinary empirical and psychological standard - that only a dogmatic
prejudice against them could prevent us from believing they exist. As Chesterton
says, 'We believe an old apple woman when she says she ate an apple; but when she
says she saw a ghost, we say 'But she's only an old apple woman.' A most
undemocratic and unscientific prejudice."
-- from "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Heaven", by Dr. Peter Kreeft
(Ignatius Press, 1990).
Seven Kinds of Ghosts
by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM
I. Floating in Time and Space
If we were to get into a time machine with this computer and a power source and go
back 1000 years, we would likely be accused of witchcraft. To the people 1000 years
ago this computer machine would have been considered impossible. Its abilities
would be considered the power of the devil. To them, this computer is supernatural.

18. To us it is just another machine.
Unless we are to consider ourselves utterly uneducated and primally brutal, we
must admit that what we condsider to be supernatural today may to future
generations be as natural as home made pie.
Physics has given us some clues into the nature of alledged ghosts and their origin.
We suspect from physics research that it is possible for beings to be in a plane of
existance different from our own which may give us a ghostly image when those two
planes open to each other in some way. Through this research we may eventually
come to understand how angels, (and ghosts) are able to do what they do. Also
through this research we may find some kinds of Ghosts that are not Ghosts at all in
the way we normally think of them, but an event of time/space distortions or other
quantum phenomena.
II. What the Bible Says about Ghosts
A. Seeking out Ghosts
We will leave the speculative physics for another time. ow let us discuss the
experience of ghosts in this plane of existance. We begin this discussion with an
examination of some of the Scripture verses that give us clues on this subject.
Scripture does not have much to say about this and certainly God has made it clear
that this is an area we are not to seek out:
*Lev. 19:31 tells us to not turn to mediums or to seek out spiritists.
*Lev. 20:6, 27 equates the seeking out of mediums with prostitution (doing so is an
act of infidelity to God that is not just adultery, but involves a prurient interest in
the occult things equating it with prostitution — a medium also is “hired” which is
also an image of prostitution).
*Deut. 18:10-11 Gives a whole list of prohibitions involving the occult and spirit
world.
Whatever Ghosts are or are not, it is clear that we are not to seek them out in any
way.
B. What do We Know About Ghosts?
1. Composition of Ghosts
*What are ghosts composed of? Well, we have a little hint of that in Luke 24:39
where the Resurrected Jesus is mistaken for a ghost. Jesus says “a ghost does not
have flesh and bones”.

19. Thus we can know that whatever ghosts are, they are spiritual beings without flesh
and bones.
2. Ghostly Vistiations during Sleep
*Is there an example of a ghostly visitation during sleep? Job 4:15 “A spirit glided
by my face and the hair on my body stood on end”
This “spirit” was most probably an angel, but it does give us a clue of the human
experience of meeting a spiritual entity and that such entities can and do come to us
in that vulnerable time of twilight and dreams. This account is very close to the
common experience many have of which can be described in technical jargon as a
cataleptic somnambulism with a sensed or visual phantasmic perception.
Also in 2 Maccabees 15:12-16 is a passage about a dream (vision) of the Jewish
leader Maccabeus. In this dream the ghosts of the high priest Onias and the great
prophet Jeremiah appeared to him and encouraged him concerning the battle to
come.
Maccabeus told this dream to his men which encourage his men greatly. Maccabeus
and his men afterwards defeated blasphemous icanor and his men who thought to
destroy the Jewish people.
3. Human spirits in Ghostly Form?
*Can a human being's spirit be transported? We know from accounts of Padre Pio
that bi-location is possible, but those are yet unverified — But what about in
Scripture. Well, there are a couple of verses that indicate this. One is in Rev. 21:10
(17:3) where John was “carried away in the spirit”. But the most direct notion of
this is in 2 Corinthians 12:2 “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was
caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do
not know — God knows.”
From this we know it is possible for man's spirit to be apart from even his living
body at God's discretion. In the occult world this is called Astral Projection.
*Can a person's body be transported spiritually? Acts 8:39, after Philip was
miraculously running up along the chariot of the Ethiopian, and after Philip
baptized him, Philip then disappeared. “When they came up out of the water, the
Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him
again...”
This episode appears to be a bodily transport in the spirit, but I suppose it could
also be a corporeal bi-location too. Who knows?
4. Other examples of ghostly visitations

20. *1 Samuel 28 The Witch of Endor. In this story Saul goes to a medium asking her to
contact the dead Samuel. She apparently succeeds and Saul talks with Samuel and
Samuel prophecies. The Scripture specifically states that “Samuel said”. There is no
indication at all that this was a demonic imposter.
*Sirach 46:20. Again Samuel prophecies from the grave.
*The Transfiguration Matt 17:2 Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus to Peter,
James, and John
*The Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31 In verse 25 Abraham says that there is
a great chasm between him and the Rich Man that cannot be crossed. This is not
talking about a chasm between the earth and hell; it is a chasm between Abraham's
bosom (which, in principle can be likened to heaven), and that of hell. Those in hell
cannot come to the place of the saved, and the saved cannot reach down with
compassion to those who are lost. It is in the next request from the Rich Man that
we have a possible clue. The Rich Man wants Lazarus to go to his brothers to warn
them of hell. Abraham says that there is no point in doing so. v.31 “If they do not
listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises
from the dead”.
This passage implies the possibility of at least Lazarus being able to go to the living
(it implies the Rich Man in hell cannot), but Abraham refuses the request not
because it is impossible to do so, but because there is no point in doing so.
C. Conclusion *So what do we have?
1. We know that ghosts do not have flesh and bones. (Luke 24:39)
2. We know that the dead can communicate with the living. (1 Sam 28; Sirach
46:20)
3. We know that at least in some context allowed by God, the dead can be
conjured in some fashion. (1 Sam 28)
4. We know that it is possible for the dead to appear on the earth (Matt 72; 1 Sam
28)
5. We know that is may be possible for the dead to not only appear on the earth,
but appear to people and talk with them (Luke 16:27-31; 1 Sam 28)
6. We know that it is possible for the living to bi-locate (Rev. 17:3; 21:10; 2 Cor
12:2)
7. We know that it is possible for spirits to communicate in dreams and the person
to have a bodily reaction to the visitation (Job 4:15)

21. III. Comments from Peter Kreeft
ow, let's take a look at what Peter Kreeft says about this. He wrote at least two
books that mention this subject, “Angels (and demons): What Do we Know About
Them?” and “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven”. His
comments stem from his study of Thomas Aquinas, Philosophy, and other Catholic
saints and observers on this subject.
Kreeft makes mention that many very reputable people, such as C.S. Lewis, have
reported seeing a “ghost” of their wives. There are many instances from reputatable
sources of experiences that do not have A Y flavor of the demonic.
Based upon these anecdotal accounts Kreeft and others talk about identifying three
kinds of ghosts. I would add a fourth and a fifth category (from Kreeft's material
that he talks about but doesn't categorized) and a sixth and seventh type from my
own thoughts and observations.
IV. Seven Kinds of Ghosts
A. GHOSTS OF THE FIRST KI D: The first kind Kreeft calls the "sad ones" or
"wispy ones". These Ghosts seem to be working out some unfinished business of
some sort, or suffering some purgatorial purification.
He says that these Ghosts would seem to be the ones who just barely made it into
Purgatory, who feel little or no joy yet and who need to learn many painful lessons
about their past lives on earth. God, in his compassion, may realize that to allow the
person to get through Purgatory that it may be useful for them to learn some lessons
on this earth.
B. GHOSTS OF THE SECO D KI D: A Second kind may be some of these
purgatorial ghosts who might have been so material minded in their earthly life that
they can't detach themselves from these Material places or possessions. God may
allow them to remain attached as they work out their need to "let go".
C. GHOSTS OF THE THIRD KI D: A third type might be those who don't yet
realize their dead. Again, in God's compassion, I can see why He would allow a
spirit to linger for a short while so that they may realize their fate before leaving this
world completely. In both the "second kind" and "third kind" God could, of course,
force the person to let go of the material place or to come on through the "gate" and
not linger. But a compassionate Father can also allow for a "little" tolerance to help
the person to adjust.
D. GHOSTS OF A FOURTH KI D: A Fourth type are the malicious and deceptive
spirits. These are the one who probably appear at seances and the like and are most
likely from hell. And most likely are demons disguised as dead loved ones and not
the human persons themselves.

22. E. GHOSTS OF A FIFTH KI D: A Fifth type are the bright, happy spirits of dead
friends and family who appear unbidden at God's will, not ours, with messages of
hope and love. They seem to come from heaven. These type may come to a loved one
to say goodbye or to comfort after a funeral for example. Or these type may come to
a relative or friend in "great" need. There are very trustworthy empirical and
psychological evidence for these phenomena.
F. GHOSTS OF A SIXTH KI D: A sixth type might be a form of time/space instant
replay. We know from Einstein's work and other scientists that it may indeed be
possible for events of the past to be in the present in a sort of time/space warp. This
gets into some very complicated notions, but the idea is that some "ghosts" are not
ghosts at all but are an instant replay of a past event.
In such cases what one sees is the ghost performing a certain scene repetively. For
example, a ghost of this type may go from the top of the stairs to the bottom and
then disappear. This may happen over and over again. It never changes. The Ghost
never interacts with anyone, and we cannot interact with it. It never changes facial
expression nor does it ever acknowledge anything around it. Thus phenomenon is
exactly like an instant reply on T.V. As some sort of time/space loop or instant
replay, this Ghost is OT a demon, or soul, or spirit. It is a phemomenon that given
the right circumstances can probably be explained by physics. This type is OT
supernatural.
G. GHOSTS OF THE SEVE TH KI D: Some "apparent" ghostly apparitions or
effects may be the bi-location of the living...the Astral projections of living people.
This can be postulated from scriptural evidence (Rev. 17:3; 21:10; and 2 Cor 12:2),
and from verified reports of bi-location of people like Padre Pio.
V. What should our demeanor be toward "any" ghostly event?
In a one liner the answer to that questoin is skepticism, caution, and testing.
Because Satan can so easily fool our senses, we should look upon all ghostly events
with great skepticism as to the idea of whether they come from God.
First, we must recognize the GREAT possibility that we are imagining things. The
human mind has great imagination capacity and we can psyche ourselves into seeing
things that are not there or to misinterpret optical illusions.
Second, we must always presume that we may be tricked by Satan and what we see
is a demon in disguise or Satan taking advantage of our overactive imaginations or
taking advantage of optical illusions.
Third, we must be aware that it is possible for the event to be ordained by God.
VI. How can we tell the difference between a a Godly Apparition and one not of
God?

23. 1) a Godly apparition will EVER contradict A Y Public Revelation. (so we need
to be well versed in Public Revelation)
2) a Godly apparition will EVER lead you to disobey your elders, superiors, or the
Church. (so we need to be aware of Church teaching and the like)
3) Although meeting a Spirit is scary, a Godly apparition will lead you to peace.
4) A Godly spirit will ALWAYS and without hesitation affirm the Lordship of Jesus
Christ. Thus we need to test the spirit with the formula of 1 John 4:1-3
VII. Some Common Questions and Answers
1) In reference to the Ghosts of the Second Kind, how can we even begin to think
that God would let someone stay on to work out their need to "let go"?
A SWER To a degree, purgatory may serve this function in some cases. Letting go
can even be an obstacle to Heaven completely
"Jesus looked at him [now sad] and said, 'How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who heard this
said, 'Then who can be saved?' And he said, 'What is impossible for human beings
is possible for God.'" (Luke 18:24-27)
I don't think allowing adjustment time would be a scripturally unfounded
statement.
2) Referring to the Third and Sixth kind of Ghosts, how can we even begin to think
that God would allow someone to not realize they're dead, or allow for a "little"
tolerance to help the person to adjust, or create a type that might be a form of
time/space instant replay????
A SWER "Who is this that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance? Have
the gates of death been shown to you, or have you seen the gates of darkness? Which
is the way to the dwelling place of light, and where is the abode of darkness, that
you may take them to their boundaries and set them on their homeward paths?"
Job 38:2,17,19
"... For stern as death is love, relentless as the nether world is devotion, its flames
are a blazing fire." Cf. Song of Songs 8:6
"... for nothing will be impossible for God." Luke 1:37
I do believe such a conjecture IS possible for God, the question is whether it is
likely? A key to that would be whether it would be loving, for God is love (1 John

24. 4:7).
Let us look into Church traditions of the past for precedents.
"'A very probable opinion,' says St. Thomas [Aquinas], 'and one which, moreover,
corresponds with the words of the saints in particular revelation is, that Purgatory
has a double place for expiation. The first will be destined for the generality of souls,
and is situated below, near to Hell; the second will be for particular cases, and it is
from thence that so many apparitions occur.'
"The holy Doctor admits, then, like so many others who share his opinions, that
sometimes Divine Justice assigns a special place for purification to certain souls, and
even permits them to appear either to instruct the living or to procure for the
departed the suffrages of which they stand in need; sometimes also for other motives
worthy of wisdom and mercy of God.
"Such is the general view concerning the location of Purgatory. Since we are not
writing a controversial treatise, we add neither proofs nor refutations; these can be
seen in authors such as Suarez and Bellarmin." (Fr. F.X. Shouppe, S.J., "Purgatory
Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints," 1893)
3) But Scripture says that if you are not alive on earth, then you are in the presense
of God.
A SWER Most definitely; but what does that mean?
Case in Point We know that Souls in Hell are in the "presence" of God because God
is everywhere. Those in Hell, however, do not "perceive" God's presence because
they have chosen to blind themselves to the light of God. The nature of Hell is to
exist without perception of God's presence (thus without Love and all good things)
... to be "free" from God, yet those in Hell are still in the presence of an omnipresent
God.
Similarly, souls in Purgatory only have a partial awareness of God's presence. The
veil of mortality has not yet passed away, yet they are still in God's presence.
"The first point about eternal life is that man is united with God. For God himself is
the reward and end of all our labors I am your protector and your supreme reward.
This union consists in seeing perfectly At present we are looking at a confused
reflection in a mirror, but then we shall see face to face." (St. Thomas Aquinas,
"Credo in Deum")
The point is that even when we are in the presence of God it does not mean that our
perception of Him is clear. We also know that it is possible to be in the presence of
God while on the earth. The angels can be standing right next to us yet they are also
in the constant presence of God - the beatific vision. With God all is possible
according to His will.

25. 4) The Bible doesn't deliniate how, why or if God places spirits on the earth other
then visits by Gabriel, the Archangel Michael, or Elija and Moses.
A SWER Let me use another example from tradition that responds to "if God
places spirits on the earth anywhere." I qualify this example to say that it does not
necessarily prove anything regarding "hauntings," but is one of many documented
examples of ghostly apparitions.
"We read the following in the Life of Father icholas Zucchi, written by Fr. Daniel
Bartoli, of the Company of Jesus ...
"... a fortnight afterwards, this young man died, carried away by a rapid death, that
left him little time to put the affairs of his conscience in order, so that there was
everything to fear for his salvation.
"One evening, whilst the three novices were engaged together in holy conversation,
the youngest was called away to the parlour. There she found a man wrapped in a
heavy cloak, and with measured steps pacing the room.
'Sir,' she said, 'who are you? and why did you send for me?' The stranger, without
answering, drew near and threw aside the mysterious mantle which covered him.
The Religious than recognized the unfortunate deceased, and saw with horror that
he was entirely surrounded by chains of fire that clasped his neck, wrists, knees, and
ankles. 'Pray for me!' he cried, and disappeared." (Fr. F.X. Shouppe, S.J.,
"Purgatory Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints," 1893)
On an anecdotal side note, Padre Pio's first visit from a deceased human's soul was
that of a monk who had died 300 years before in the cell Padre used at the time. The
monk had been guilty of some infraction of his monkly duties, and so God sentenced
him to remain in his cell until a monk would offer up some prayers and sacrifices on
his behalf. I forget what laxity the monk had been guilty of, but I found it
interesting that his "sentence" very much fit the "crime."
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