Examine the belief and practice of praying to or for those who have passed on into eternity

Is there a rational excuse for this practice, as some may reason? saying, God is not the God of the dead, knowing the rightious are not dead but eternally alive; But that is not the true doctrine concerning prayer for the dead.
Look at 1st Samuel 28 where Saul seeks to consult with the deceased Samuel. When Sameul is brought up in spirit from the dead he rebukes Saul and tells him that Saul and his sons will be dead the next day.

Now we know that scriptures are used for correction and instruction and doctrine; So look at what the prophet King David taught us.
In 2nd Samuel chapter 12 David sought God very heavily and hard in fasting and prayer for the childs life. Once he became aware that the child was dead, he got up from his fasting washed up , anointed himself, changed his clothes, went into the house of God and worshipped God, then had something to eat.
David said "he is dead, wherefore should I fast?"

The actions of King David prophesied to us that while a person is alive we pray for them, after they are dead they are gone to God.

The account of Saul communing with the deceased Samuel teaches us that we are flirting with our own doom if we practice that. God is the judge and his judgements are in his word. We have no buisness trying to appeal after one goes on because after they are gone they are in Gods hands. If a deceased soul is to go through punishment; God is judge of that of how many stripes they get.

If you want to puff yourself up to continue doing contrary to Gods instructions, and say; "God can change his word" You need to fear God MUCH more. Sure God is God, but he has said in Ps 138:2(b)"thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name"

If you have been in error about this, realize, nowhere in Gods word has he declared to have changed this about his word.
I tell you this so you can mature in your fear of the Lord, when you light candles in prayer to the dead, you do it unto devils, for it is against Gods Holy WORD.

OK, Lets get much deeper! In 2nd Tim 3:16 it says "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
That means; Gods Holy Spirit breathed the scriptures. Because His Spirit gave the meanings, only by His Spirit can we receive true preception of scripture.
2nd Peter 1:20 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." (which means: the idea did not come from mans mind) 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Peter also told how twisted doctrine gets developed and passed down.
2nd Pet 3:16(b) "they that are un learned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (unstable wrest means: those who are unreliable twist the scriptures)

You may think right off that the Roman Catholic leaders could not be that way. If you want the truth, bear with me.
Paul wrote to the Romans 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."
And to the Corinthians, 1st Cor 2:14 "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
And another place Paul describes how humanity prevents genuine God reception understanding.
1st Cor 3:1-4 " And I, brethern, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. :2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. :3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? :4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?"
Now I quoted those verses to show scripture describes leaders can be unable to conceive the deep things of God; If you want an example; well, the Catholic church in essance says I am of Peter. But for now, just realize it is correct to say christian leaders can miss it in a major way in understanding and belief.

With that said;
It is well known by the old and new covenants that two or three witnesses are true, as Jesus said in John 8:17 "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true" quoting from Deuteronomy 19:15 " at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established."
The only thing I have seen so far, that catholics trust in for a basis of praying for the dead is only one scripture. And the law taught that one witness is not valid. their one witness comes from a book that even Catholic scholars admit is not a book that bears testimony of Jesus, namely 2nd Maccabees in 12:39-46 is where they get it from. But scripture says of itself that authentic scripture is that which is prophetic of Jesus, Which the catholic leaders admit Maccabees does not have.
Furthermore, to rightly divide the word, You must realize, there are things recorded in the bible that are not representing doctrine to follow.
Example: Righteous Job from a pure heart falsely said things not true about God, like; Job 1:21 "the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away" those were the thoughts from a righteous man who was pure in heart towards God, who did not see yet that it was satan who took away.
As it is written in Isaiah 55:8 " my thoughts are not your thoughts"
It is assumed by catholics that just because Judas of Maccabees 12 was said, "it was a holy and pious thought" that it is valid for belief; but Isaiah established that Gods thoughts are above our thoughts, no matter how sincere we may feel.

There are plenty of scriptures showing true doctrine against that one verse wrongly assumed from a book known not to be prophetic.

Aside from the prophecy from King David, in how he showed by example that after one is dead, they are in Gods hands;
In Romans 6:7 it says "he that is dead is freed from sin" after someone dies, then, why do you pary about their sin?
It is like those who were blinded in order to have our Lord nailed to the wood for us, in Acts 3:17 it said of them "through ignorance ye did it" but what was commanded to them ? :19 "Repent".

The fact of the resurrection has no bearing from Maccabees 12 to justify the belief in prayer for the dead. In Acts 5:1-11 is the account of a husband and wife, Ananias and Sapphira, who died at Peters words for tempting the Spirit of the Lord in their lie. It makes no mention of prayer for them, but still we know they will be raised up for judgemnt day.

Look at some verses about resurrection.
Read 1st Cor 15:42-58; and Philippians 3:8-17 ; and Hebrews 6:1-12; and 2nd Pet 2:9-22, to get a good leading of our attitude towards God and the resurrection; But, it is a lot to copy here, so note it and read it after your done here.

Acts 24:15(b) "that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." This shows us that no one needs to pray for anyone to go before God in the resurrection; As it is written in Matthew 12:36"every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement."

When you get the revelation from God by his word in this matter, you will realize wasted or disobedient prayers are as idle words.

and Romans 14:12 "every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

and Hebrews 9:27 "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement." Here again, is another witness from God; After a person dies, they are no longer our concern, now they are in Gods place of responsibility.


Lastly, Revelations 22:11 says "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still" In the book of this prophecy, Revelations, it says in 22:18&19 not to add to or take away from the words of this prophecy.

If it tells us to let the unjust be unjust, what are you doing praying for the sins of a dead person?


I have labored long to present to you ample amounts of information. It is now up to You to pray to God that the Holy Spirit will convict you of the truth, so you can obey his truth. satan is a robber who loves to rob your time in doing things of no eternal value. We need to get a personal revelation from Gods Spirit about what is truth or not, so we can be obedient and good stewards of our time. Please do not shrug this off. I know if I am a true prophet of God or not, I know if I am speaking the words God told me to speak or not. You will be held accountable for rejecting or being very open to God about what you just read. You know the doubts you are aware of vs the tendency in you to hold to what you thought was true. By humility and the fear of the Lord are richs honor and life. Those who exalt themselves in religious pride, not willing to hear what saith the Spirit of the Lord, have hardened their hearts and minds.

I am called of God to reveal rebukes and corrections because he loves you. As many as he loves he rebukes and corrects or else we are not his.

THREE times it says in Hebrews 3:7 &15 and 4:7 "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

PLEASE hear and pay serious attention to the words.

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