Occasionally, at about ½ hour after sundown, I like to stand in the room, with the drapes open and the light on, looking out into the garden. There, I can see my reflection standing in the garden looking back at me. I know what that image of me must be seeing and I imagine that it is looking back at me but that its thoughts are different and unknown to me. I like to think that this is my soul and that its thoughts are those that I will have once I am in Heaven looking down on people like me in a judgemental way (
Psalm 37:30 1Cor:6:3).This image of my soul is all the more real in its role because, like a ghost or a spirit, I can see right through it and to the workshop beyond. That is how we see souls, isn't it? It is there, weightless and without substance, but nevertheless, it is there. In life, the soul occupies exactly and all the time the same position and shape as our own body and is just under the skin, so we can never see it, neither can anyone else.
To make the apparition more real, I may walk about in the room, pointing at things or having my soul “do some celestial gardening.” I like to think that it is capable of removing the life-forces of weeds – of course,the weeds are still there in the morning but (i) it is nevertheless done in some mysterious or symbolic way or (ii) the thriving weeds are God’s reminder (a)to the “me-of-this-life” that there is still evil (which it is my worldly duty to eradicate) in the world, or (ii)(b) that in heaven we do not have to do any work at all in order to live well – or all of the above.
But all this is by the bye. Last night, as I was doing this,Mrs Bathfire walked into the garden and towards my “soul” and it came into my mind that I should have my soul start a conversation with her. So, as she was walking towards me I adjusted my position in the room (and thus that of my soul in the garden) and, when she was no more six feet from me, I announced in the usual well-moderated and authoritative tones of the individuals who comprise the Host of Heaven, “Good evening, my dear!”
-- And she walked right through me - as if I weren't there -even though I saw my soul’s lips move!
Now to the untrained eye of the ordinary member of the congregation who is unversed in Biblical Science, this might seem as if my soul were not there, but this would not be in accordance with the rigours of God’s science:it could equally be that Mrs Bathfire
had seen my soul from a distance and had other things on her mind and had just ignored me or, as she often does,simply raised her eyebrows in that disconcertingly clear manner that she does when I am telling her about great advances in Biblical Science – she seems to have no interest in such things.
In fact, this theory was borne out when about 15 minutes later, she entered the room: I started to explain what had happened and the significance of this observation, and she simply raised her eyebrows, continued to her writing desk, took out a pen, and left the room - all without saying anything! How can we explain this?
Well, it could always be the case that the spirit and the soul are different things. We know that in 1Samuel:28 - the Official Record of Saul’s meeting with the Witch of Endor - King Saul actually speaks with the dead Samuel:
1Sa:28:8: And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
1Sa:28:9: And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life,to cause me to die?
1Sa:28:10: And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
1Sa:28:11: Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
1Sa:28:12: And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with aloud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
1Sa:28:13: And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
1Sa:28:14: And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
1Sa:28:15: And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
Now, in
1Sa:28:14 you will note that the Witch can see Samuel before he arrives, and when Samuel manifests, Saul recognizes him, and Samuel speaks, and Saul hears him, which is quite different from my documented experience with Mrs Bathfire!
The conclusion cannot be that souls and spirits are different. The explanation seem irrefutable to me that the souls/spirits of the living are unable to contact the living, but the spirits of the dead can.
Why should God arrange matters thus? Well, it seems clear enough that the soul has direct knowledge of heaven this is necessary because the soul knows it will be judged and tries to tell us that, but we do not always listen. To be able to do this, it must be in perfect contact with God,which the earthly body and mind are not – and if the earthbound soul could speak, it might not know the answer, or it might “make things up.”
Thus, it is only after death that the spirit/soul obtains the power to become manifest and to speak.
However, the reason you need to listen to Pastors is that the Bible is perfectly clear but the sinner
(I include atheists and Catholics) often becomes confused, for we have:
The Bible refers to ghosts or spirits of the dead as“familiar spirits” and warns us against having anything to do with them. (see Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:11; 2 Kings 21:6; Isaiah 8:19).
Job:7:9: As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
Job:7:10: He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
(Here you will note that Samuel did not come back to
his house, he came to the Witch of Endor’s house, so there is no conflict with 1Samuel:28)
And
Ec:9:5: 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.
Ec:9:6: 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.
(Here you will note that Samuel never claim to be able to take part in any of Saul’s plans, so there is no conflict with 1Samuel:28)
.)
People ask “If people die with unfinished business to care for, do they become ghosts and haunt the places and people they knew in life?”It’s in the Bible,
Psalms:146:3: Put not your trustin princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
Psalms:146:4: His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Here you note that Samuel may have forgotten who he was but that does not stop him being able to give advice – if you can drive a car and then forget your name, you do not forget how to drive a car - so there is no conflict with 1Samuel:28)
I hope that this has been instructive.