What Does the BIBLE Say About GHOSTS?

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: What Does the BIBLE Say About GHOSTS?
Podcast: Impact Video Ministries
Date: November 4, 2025
Main Theme:
This episode explores the topic of ghosts from a biblical perspective, addressing whether ghosts—understood as the souls of dead humans lingering on earth—are real according to Scripture. The discussion unpacks specific Bible passages, distinguishes between biblical "ghosts," angels, and demons, and offers practical warnings about attempts to contact the dead or supernatural entities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Are Ghosts Real? Experiences & Scripture ([00:00]–[02:35])

• Personal Experiences:
  The hosts share anecdotal stories of strange and unexplained phenomena, such as hearing footsteps, voices, or laughter when alone.

  “There was this one time I was driving alone in my car with no music playing and I clearly heard a baby laughing.” — Host A (00:13)

• Cultural & Biblical Recognition:
  Historically, even during Jesus’ time, belief in ghosts was common.

  “The disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and they thought he was a ghost.” — Host A on Matthew 14:26 (00:42)

2. Fact #1: Ghosts Have Been Seen in the Bible ([02:35]–[06:06])

• The Medium of Endor (1 Samuel 28):
  Saul seeks out a medium to summon the deceased prophet Samuel for advice—a scenario highly unusual and even contradictory to his own edicts against necromancy.

  • Samuel appears and converses with Saul, accurately prophesying his death.
  • Host A points out this is a special circumstance, not a blank check for spirit communication.

  “Just because this may have been a ghost, it doesn’t mean that other ghosts exist, because this may have been a unique case where God brought back Samuel...” — Host A (03:17)

• The Transfiguration (Luke 9):
  Moses (who had died) and Elijah (who did not die) appear and speak with Jesus, witnessed by the disciples.

  • Notably, Moses’s presence is evidence of a “dead” person interacting with the living.

  “Moses, who was dead hundreds of years ago, was standing here and was seen by people who were alive at the same time.” — Host A (05:09)

• Definition:
  Biblical language uses “spirit” interchangeably with “ghost” in some translations, but the real distinction is their origin and purpose.

3. Fact #2: Ghosts Are Not Human Souls Roaming the Earth ([06:06]–[10:14])

• Immediate Afterlife & Judgment (Hebrews 9:27):
  After death, individuals face judgment; there’s no “roaming period” post-mortem.

  “All people die, and after death comes judgment.” — Host A citing Hebrews 9:27 (06:31)

• Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16):
  Upon death, the souls of the righteous and unrighteous are immediately separated; the “rich man” cannot return or send messages to the living.

  “The rich man... was not able to roam the earth as a spirit, because if you read this passage, he actually asked if he could warn his family... but he was not given permission.” — Host A (08:23)

• Cultural Contradictions:
  The biblical narrative diverges from horror movie tropes and common supernatural lore, which suggest spirits linger to haunt the living.

4. Fact #3: Ghosts Can Be Confused for Angels or Demons ([10:14]–[13:45])

• Angels in the Bible (Matthew 28):
  Angels regularly appear in scripture, often causing fear due to their power and appearance—like the angel at Jesus' tomb whose presence causes earthquake and terror.

  “[The angel] was not a cute, winged, naked baby... but was a white and shining figure that resembled a man and was powerful enough to cause an earthquake...” — Host A (11:12)

• Demons and Deception (2 Corinthians 11:14):
  Demons and Satan can disguise themselves as “angels of light” and may be responsible for frightening encounters.

  • Notably, demons are rarely depicted as being seen without a host but are always capable of deceiving or possessing.

  “... in the Bible, there aren’t really sightings of demons without a host. … At the same time, though, I don't think that writes off the possibility of them being seen.” — Host A (12:29)

• Mistaken Identity:
  Many “ghostly” encounters could be misidentified interactions with angels or demonic presences due to their supernatural behavior and appearance.

5. Practical Warning and Conclusion ([13:45]–[14:00])

• Don’t Seek Contact with the Dead:
  The hosts strongly discourage attempts at spirit communication (Ouija boards, seances, tarot) as dangerous and biblically condemned.

  “...when people try to open themselves up to hearing from the dead, what they're really doing is opening themselves up to demons.” — Host A (13:53)

• Encouragement:
  Listeners are reminded that God and Jesus are more powerful than any supernatural evil.

  “God is bigger than any demon and Jesus loves you.” — Host A (13:59)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Special Cases:

  “Saul, needing to get help from people that he himself deported, disguised himself... And it looks like the medium was successful because Samuel appeared...” — Host A (03:01)

• On Afterlife Separation:

  “God's people will be separated from others immediately after their death, and his people will be brought close to him and others will be given to the fire.” — Host A (07:40)

• On Angels as ‘Ghostly’:

  “...angels are typically white in color, resemble people, can pop up out of nowhere and normally cause people to freak out.” — Host A (13:08)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] – Personal stories of ghostly encounters
• [00:42] – Ghosts as common knowledge in biblical times
• [02:35] – “Ghosts have been seen in the Bible” (1 Samuel 28, Luke 9)
• [06:06] – “Ghosts are not human souls who roam the earth” (Hebrews 9:27, Luke 16)
• [10:14] – “Ghosts can be confused for angels or demons” (Matthew 28, 2 Corinthians 11:14)
• [13:45] – Warning against necromancy and practical advice
• [13:59] – Words of encouragement

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Summary Table: What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts?

| Claim | Biblical Support/Reference | Podcast’s Conclusion | |----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | Ghosts (“spirits”) have been seen | 1 Samuel 28; Luke 9 (Transfiguration)| Rare, God-orchestrated exceptions | | Human souls linger after death | Hebrews 9:27; Luke 16 | No, souls are judged immediately | | Encounters could be angels or demons | Matthew 28; 2 Corinthians 11:14 | Yes, often the best explanation | | Contacting spirits is acceptable | Various* | Strongly discouraged, opens to evil |

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Final Messages

• Biblical record includes a few special cases where the dead appeared (e.g., Samuel, Moses), but these were divine exceptions, not norms.
• Human souls do not linger or haunt the earth; “ghosts” in popular culture misrepresent the biblical perspective.
• Many supernatural encounters could be with angels or (more dangerously) demons—not human spirits.
• Don’t seek out supernatural encounters or spirit communication—open yourself to God, not spiritual danger.
• Remember: God’s power and love surpass all fear of the supernatural.

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This episode offers a well-reasoned, scripture-rich breakdown for Christians and skeptics alike on the biblical perspective concerning ghosts, blending accessible teaching with cautionary wisdom and encouragement.

Transcript

[A]

So ghosts are a fun topic. And I've talked with quite a few people who claim to have seen ghosts and have said they've interacted with the supernatural, where they'll know for sure that no one was home, but they heard some footsteps upstairs or they'll hear voices like, life is weird. And there was this one time I was driving alone in my car with no music playing and I clearly heard a baby laughing.

[B]

Yeah, that was a weird one and

[A]

it freaked me out. So here's the spectrum when it comes to ghosts. Some people believe that ghosts are real and that people who died still roam the earth until they can move on. And others believe that ghosts are purely fictional and that people who have interacted with them are probably making it up. Or maybe it was just in their head, you know, when it came to ghosts. Back then, during the time of Jesus, ghosts were actually common knowledge. Because if you look at Matthew, chapter 14, verse 26, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and they thought he was a ghost. So with that said, in this video, we want to break down the truth about ghosts and see what the Bible says about them.

[C]

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[A]

Fact number one, ghosts have been seen in the Bible. 1 Samuel, chapter 28, verses 13 to 14. The king said to her, do not be afraid. What do you see? And the woman said to Saul, I see a God coming up out of the earth. He said to her, what is his appearance? And she said, an old man is coming up and. And he is wrapped in a robe. And Saul knew that it was Samuel. And he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. Now this is a fun passage. So here the first king of Israel, Saul, was at war with the Philistine army, and he went to God for help, but God wasn't talking to him. So Saul thought, well, maybe I can get help from Samuel. But the issue was that Samuel was dead. So Saul thought, well, maybe I could get a medium to contact the dead so I can talk to Samuel. And what's hilarious is that if you read 1st Samuel, chapter 28, verse 3, Saul actually kicked out all the mediums and necromancers out of Israel, but now he needed their help. So Saul, needing to get help from people that he himself deported, disguised him himself, and he set up a meeting with the medium late at night. And it looks like the medium was successful because Samuel appeared and spoke to Saul, saying, why have you disturbed me in bringing me up? And Samuel, who again was dead, by the way, went on to tell Saul that the Lord had turned against him because the kingdom had already been taken from him and transferred to David. So here's the question. Was this really Samuel or was this a demon who looked like Samuel? And there are arguments for both sides, but I'd lean that this was actually Samuel. And the reason why I think that is because Samuel prophesied Saul's death. And Samuel said, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And if you continue to read for Samuel, you'd see that what dead Samuel said came true. And while this passage is a fun and interesting one, I have some quick thoughts. For one, just because this may have been a ghost, it doesn't mean that other ghosts exist, because this may have been a unique case where God brought back Samuel to declare his judgment on Saul. And I also don't think this passage gives believers the okay to contact mediums. And for those of you who think that this was a demon and not a ghost, there's another passage where some of Jesus disciples actually saw ghosts. Look at Luke, chapter 9, verses 30 to 31. And behold, two men talked with him who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his decease, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. So this was the Transfiguration on the mount, where Jesus revealed his glory to Peter, John and James. And in this miraculous event, both Elijah and Moses appeared and spoke with Jesus. And while you can make the case that Elijah never technically died, Moses for sure did. And now we see Moses chilling and hanging out with Jesus. And you know, really quick, when you look at the word ghost in the Bible, one of the words that's used to define them is spirit. So I'd argue that biblically speaking, a ghost is a spirit. And we can see here that ghosts exist because Moses, who was dead hundreds of years ago, was standing here and was seen by people who were alive at the same time. Though just because it looks like we see ghosts in the Bible doesn't mean that people today can regularly interact with them. And you can see why, in fact, number two, ghosts are not human souls who roam the earth. Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 27. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, in this passage, the author of Hebrews tells us something important about death and what happens after death. And it says here that all people die, and after death comes judgment. So going back to the topic of ghosts, I want to say really quick that I believe that Samuel and Moses appearing are very special cases that God used to reveal something important about his will, and that people's spirits normally do not come back to interact with the living. Because according to this passage, when people die, they get judged. And we can see more about what that judgment could look like. In Luke, chapter 16, verses 22 to 23, 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. So in this passage, Jesus taught about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus to explain how he should not look for comforts and riches in this life, but in the one to come. And some scholars debate whether this is a parable or a real event because a specific person, Lazarus, is mentioned, which is different from other parables with nameless characters. But regardless of whether this is a parable or not, there are some pretty big truths that we can learn here regarding the afterlife. And from this passage and from Many other teachings of Jesus, we're able to see that God's people will be separated from others immediately after their death, and his people will be brought close to him and others will be given to the fire. And I just want to note here that from this passage In Luke chapter 16, it seems that this rich man was not only separated from God, but was also locked in this place, and he was not able to roam the earth as a spirit, because if you read this passage, he actually asked if he could warn his family, who was still alive, about the horrible place he was at, but he was not given permission. So I know that horror movies and pop culture sometimes portray ghosts as dead people who haunt the living and make doors close and floors creak. But biblically speaking, they're wrong, because the spirits of people upon death are brought to judgment, and it looks like they're held there. However, if you ever had weird experiences like these ones, and if the ghosts or the spirits of people are not roaming the earth like the movies say they are, then why do freaky things happen? Let's look at fact number three. Ghosts can be confused for angels or demons. Matthew, chapter 28, verses 2 to 4. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow, and the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. In this passage, two female disciples named Mary visited the empty tomb after Jesus was crucified and buried. And there were guards stationed there to protect the body. And then an angel appeared out of nowhere to those soldiers, and it freaked them out. So notice here how the passage says that they became like dead men out of fear. So this was not a peaceful encounter, it was a terrifying one. And the reason why is because the angel who appeared was not a cute, winged, naked baby with a little halo, but was a white and shining figure that resembled a man and was powerful enough to cause an earthquake upon descending. So I'd argue here that this description is kind of ghost like. And this is just one example of an angel appearing in the Bible. There are plenty of other examples. And if you look at the angel Gabriel, you'd find that he has a history of interacting with people and freaking them out. And another thing about angels is that they seem to defy the natural laws of physics and can just appear out of nowhere like a ghost. I should note, though, that the angels I described were the good ones. So Next look at 2 Corinthians 11:14. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. In this passage, Paul described how Satan, despite being evil, is capable of transforming himself into an angel of light in order to deceive people. And there are many other places in the Bible where demons influenced people, conversed with them, and even manipulated them to do harmful things. But an interesting thing that we discovered when writing this video is that in the Bible, there aren't really sightings of demons without a host. There's actually a lot of verses of holy angels being seen as independent beings, but not demons. So biblically, demons are typically interacted with through the person they're possessing. At the same time, though, I don't think that writes off the possibility of them being seen. I've heard from others that demons could be seen and they look like a shadow, which may be the case. So it is entirely possible that people could experience a demon at some point in their lives. And even if they're a Christian and are not able to be possessed by a demon, they may still try to provoke believers and non believers in other ways. And I say all of this because people not familiar with the spiritual realities of the Bible may confuse angels or demons for ghosts. Mainly because angels are typically white in color, resemble people can pop up out of nowhere and normally cause people to freak out. Okay, so here are three facts that we know about ghosts. Ghosts have been seen in the Bible. Ghosts are not human souls who roam the earth, and ghosts can be confused for angels or demons. To close, I should add that people should not be trying to contact the dead. Again, I would argue that Saul seeing Samuel was a special case to bring judgment upon Saul. So when people try to open themselves up to hearing from the dead, what they're really doing is opening themselves up to demons. So I'd encourage you to stay away from Ouija boards, tarot cards and seances. Because if you could open yourself up to God, then it's also possible to open yourself up to darkness. And I say these things not to scare you, but to warn you and to take these things seriously. So be informed and be wise. And should any of the things that we said in this video cause you to fear, I want you to remember that God is bigger than any demon and that Jesus loves you.

[B]

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[A]

God bless.