This article was co-authored by How.com.vn staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Luke Smith is a How.com.vn Staff Writer. He's worked for literary agents, publishing houses, and with many authors, and his writing has been featured in a number of literary magazines. Now, Luke writes for the content team at How.com.vn and hopes to help readers expand both their skillsets and the bounds of their curiosity. Luke earned his MFA from the University of Montana.
There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
Learn more...
Given all the miracles and supernatural events in the Bible, you might think that ghosts aren’t too big of a leap. But the Bible itself isn’t exactly clear on whether or not ghosts exist, and neither is Church doctrine. That’s why we’re here to show you what the Bible and the Church do say about ghosts, the afterlife, angels and demons, and whether or not you should be afraid of spooky spectres in the night.
Are there ghosts in the Bible?
Ghosts appear in the Bible as visions sent by God, but not as restless souls of the dead that haunt the earth. The Church doesn’t have a concrete answer on whether or not ghosts are real, but many religious scholars and theologians believe they might be.
Steps
What does the Bible say about the afterlife?
- The Bible describes heaven as being with the Lord. The Bible says surprisingly little about the afterlife—at least, there are few concrete details. There are many mentions of heaven, or a paradise for the souls of believers to inhabit after they die. 2 Corinthians has perhaps the most thorough description, saying heaven is an “eternal house” that is “away from the body and at home with the Lord.”[9]
- This means we won’t have our bodies in heaven, just our spirits, or souls.
- The Bible does warn us about hell. Revelations 21 describes hell, which is an eternal “second death” for those who reject God. In the Bible, hell is often depicted as a place full of suffering and torment (Revelations 14, 2 Thessalonians 1, Matthew 25).[10] Most importantly, hell is eternal life without the presence of God—the opposite of Heaven.
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014%3A26&version=NIV
- ↑ https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/24
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2017%3A1-3&version=NIV
- ↑ https://bible.usccb.org/bible/leviticus/19
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy+18&version=NIV
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%207&version=KJV
- ↑ https://uscatholic.org/articles/201310/paranormal-activity-do-catholics-believe-in-ghosts/
- ↑ https://www.ncregister.com/news/ghosts-and-the-catholic-church-pointing-to-the-permanence-of-the-soul
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%205-8&version=NIV
- ↑ https://www.openbible.info/topics/hell
- ↑ https://www.christianity.org.uk/article/opinion-ghosts-the-afterlife-and-paranormal-in-the-bible
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203&version=KJV
- ↑ https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/5
- ↑ https://www.ncregister.com/news/ghosts-and-the-catholic-church-pointing-to-the-permanence-of-the-soul
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy+18&version=NIV
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2054%3A17&version=NKJV
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+peter+5&version=KJV
About This Article
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.