What Does the Bible Say About Contacting-the-dead?

Leviticus 19:31 ESV / 13 helpful votes

“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.

Isaiah 8:19 ESV / 9 helpful votes

And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

Leviticus 20:6 ESV / 9 helpful votes

“If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Leviticus 20:27 ESV / 6 helpful votes

“A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”

Ecclesiastes 9:5 ESV / 5 helpful votes

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 ESV / 5 helpful votes

There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

Psalm 146:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes

When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

2 Chronicles 33:6 ESV / 4 helpful votes

And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

Deuteronomy 18:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,

Revelation 16:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes

For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.

1 John 4:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Hebrews 9:27 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

1 Timothy 4:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,

Galatians 5:19-21 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

John 11:11-14 ESV / 3 helpful votes

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,

Isaiah 8:20 ESV / 3 helpful votes

To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

Ecclesiastes 9:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

Psalm 115:17 ESV / 3 helpful votes

The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 ESV / 3 helpful votes

So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

1 Samuel 28:1-25 ESV / 3 helpful votes

In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.” Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ...

Deuteronomy 18:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes

There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ESV / 3 helpful votes

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

Revelation 21:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Revelation 13:1-18 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. ...

James 2:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Hebrews 5:14 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

2 Corinthians 11:13-14 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

1 Corinthians 15:51 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Acts 19:18-19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Acts 7:60 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

John 14:26 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 14:1-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ...

John 6:39 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

John 3:16-17 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Luke 16:19-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ...

Luke 16:1-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes

He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ...

Matthew 6:1-34 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ...

Daniel 12:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Daniel 2:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.

Daniel 2:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

1 Chronicles 10:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.

Deuteronomy 18:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, ...

Leviticus 19:26 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes.

Exodus 8:7 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

50 Bible Verses about Contacting-the-dead

Leviticus 19:31 ESV / 13 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 8:19 ESV / 9 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 20:6 ESV / 9 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 20:27 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ecclesiastes 9:5 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Psalm 146:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Chronicles 33:6 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 18:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Revelation 16:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 John 4:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Hebrews 9:27 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 4:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Galatians 5:19-21 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 11:11-14 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 8:20 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ecclesiastes 9:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Psalm 115:17 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Samuel 28:1-25 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 18:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Revelation 21:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Revelation 13:1-18 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

James 2:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Hebrews 5:14 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Corinthians 11:13-14 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 15:51 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Acts 19:18-19 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Acts 7:60 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 14:26 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 14:1-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 6:39 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 3:16-17 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Luke 16:19-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Luke 16:1-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 6:1-34 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Daniel 12:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Daniel 2:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Daniel 2:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ecclesiastes 9:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Chronicles 10:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 18:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 19:26 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Exodus 8:7 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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