Why God Does Not Want Us to Speak to the Dead

People throughout history have sought to communicate with dead loved ones and to listen to their advice and experiences. But is it right to attend a séance or to seek a spiritist medium? Consider what the Bible says.

Leviticus 19:31 New International Version (NIV) 31 “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. 20:6 “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people. 27 “‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’”

So God makes that pretty clear how He feels about trying to talk to the dead or the fate of those who become mediums. In the Bible King Saul, Isreal's first king, consulted a spiritist medium. At he time Saul did this, he was living in rebellion against God. In fact, Saul disobeyed his own law, which forbade consulting mediums and spiritists (1 Samuel 28:3-19). 1 Chronicles 10:13 says: “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, … and also because he consulted a medium for guidance.”

Finally, read the Bible for this very interesting "after death" story from a dead man's point-of-view.

Luke 16:19-31 New International Version (NIV) The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

This confirms that God does not approve of dead people coming back to speak to us. But it also shows that the reason God forbids such practices is simply this: God provides all the spiritual instruction we need in His word, the Bible! When people seek supernatural information from some other source, they show a lack of faith in God´s revealed word (2 Timothy 3:16.17).