Hope and Prophecy

Can the Dead Communicate With the Living?

Scripture forbids attempts to communicate with the dead. The Bible's teaching about death as unconsciousness means that supposed communications from deceased people should not be accepted as evidence that the dead are actually communicating.

Published 2026-09-13 · Updated 2026-09-27

Written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team. Read our editorial policy.

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State of the Dead

Biblical explanation

God explicitly prohibited Israel from consulting mediums, spiritists, or those who claimed to communicate with the dead. lists “a consulter with familiar spirits” among practices God condemns. asks: “Should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” The biblical alternative is to seek God and His revealed Word rather than attempting to obtain supernatural information from the dead. The story of Saul and the medium at Endor in is sometimes presented as proof that the dead communicate. However, the passage occurs in the context of Saul's rebellion and his previous rejection of God's commands against such practices (). The narrative should therefore not be used to overturn the many direct statements describing death as unconsciousness. The New Testament also warns that Satan can deceive through supernatural signs (). Scripture clearly prohibits attempts to contact the dead. It does not instruct believers to investigate or test supposed messages from deceased relatives. The biblical instruction is to seek God and His Word.

In brief

God explicitly prohibited Israel from consulting mediums, spiritists, or those who claimed to communicate with the dead.

Bible references

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Editorial note

This answer is written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team, and is presented with supporting references so you can examine each passage in context. If you notice an error or unclear statement, please suggest a correction.