4) Myths About Death
Soul immortality, purgatory, reincarnation and spiritualism - What does the Bible say about these beliefs?
Throughout history, mankind has developed various theories about what happens after death. Many religious traditions teach some form of consciousness after death — whether soul immortality, reincarnation, or communication with the dead. But where did these ideas come from? And what does the Bible say about them?
The First Lie
What was the first lie recorded in the Bible?
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Answer: 'You will surely not die'
Genesis 3:4: "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:"
The first lie recorded in the Bible was about death! God had said clearly: “In the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” (). Satan contradicted directly: “You will surely not die.” This lie (that death is not real, that something in us continues to live) is the basis of practically all false doctrines about death.
“The doctrine of natural immortality, first borrowed from the pagan philosophy, and in the darkness of the great apostasy incorporated into the Christian faith, has supplanted the truth, so plainly taught in Scripture, that ‘the dead know not anything.’” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 551, par. 1.
The Myth of Soul Immortality
The idea that the soul is immortal does not come from the Bible, but from Greek philosophy, especially the teachings of Plato. The Greeks believed that the body was a “prison” for the immortal soul. When Christianity spread throughout the Greco-Roman world, this pagan idea was gradually incorporated into Christian theology.
Who ALONE possesses immortality?
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Answer: God alone
1 Timothy 6:15-16: "Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen."
The Bible is clear: only God is immortal by nature. Immortality will be granted to the saved as a gift at the resurrection (), it is not something we already possess.
The Myth of Purgatory
Does the Bible teach about a place of purification after death?
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Answer: No, after death comes judgment, not purification
Hebrews 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
The doctrine of purgatory — an intermediate place where souls are purified before entering heaven — has no biblical basis. The Bible teaches that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment.” There is no second chance or purification after death.
Can salvation be obtained by our works or suffering?
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Answer: By grace you have been saved through faith, not by works
Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
The idea that we must suffer to purify our sins contradicts the gospel. Jesus already suffered for us on the cross. Salvation is by grace, through faith, not by works or suffering, either in this life or after death.
The Myth of Reincarnation
How many times does a human being die?
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Answer: Once
Hebrews 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
Reincarnation — the belief that the soul returns in different bodies — directly contradicts the Bible. The Scriptures teach that we die once and then comes judgment, not a series of lives. Moreover, salvation comes by God’s grace, not by spiritual evolution through multiple existences.
Is it possible to return from death to a new earthly life?
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Answer: He goes down to Sheol and does not come up; he returns no more to his house
Job 7:9-10: "As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more."
The Myth of Spiritualism
Is it possible to communicate with the dead?
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Answer: No, the dead know nothing and take no part in anything
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6: "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 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."
If the dead are unconscious, who are mediums communicating with? The Bible is clear: not the dead. They are deceiving spirits — demons who impersonate the dead to spread lies.
What does God think about consulting the dead?
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Answer: It is an abomination to the Lord
Deuteronomy 18:10-12: "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. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 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."
God explicitly forbids any attempt to communicate with the dead. This includes séances, the use of mediums, Ouija boards, and any other similar practice. Why? Because it opens the door to satanic deception.
“The theory of the immortality of the soul was one of those false doctrines that Rome, borrowing from paganism, incorporated into the religion of Christendom.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 549, par. 2.
The Case of Saul and the “Witch” of Endor
Why did Saul die, according to the Bible?
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Answer: Because he was unfaithful to the Lord and consulted a medium
1 Chronicles 10:13-14: "So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse."
Many point to 1 Samuel 28 as proof that the dead can communicate. But consider: God had refused to speak to Saul through dreams, Urim or prophets (). Would God then answer through a practice that He Himself forbade? The Bible says that Saul died for consulting a medium (). The apparition was not Samuel, but a deceiving spirit.
Why Are These Lies Dangerous?
All these false beliefs have something in common: they deny the reality of death and prepare people for Satan’s final great deception.
- Soul immortality → makes people believe they do not need to fear death
- Purgatory → diverts from salvation by grace
- Reincarnation → removes the urgency of choosing Christ
- Spiritualism → opens the door to demonic communication
“He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 552, par. 1.
And Now?
Biblical truth protects us from Satan’s deceptions:
- Only God is immortal. We will receive immortality as a gift.
- There is no purgatory. Jesus already paid the complete price.
- We have one life to choose Christ. There is no reincarnation.
- The dead do not communicate. Those who respond are demons.
My Decision
I reject the false doctrines about death: soul immortality, purgatory, reincarnation and spiritualism. I accept the biblical teaching that the dead sleep until the resurrection and that my hope for eternal life is only in Jesus Christ.