The Bible and Ghosts

       Let's be real for a minute. Most of us like a good spooky story, especially while sitting around a fireplace or while camping with family and friends. Many of us like a good movie or television program with ghosts or something supernatural in it. And of course, we have all heard of or know someone who has seen something weird or who have heard bumps in the night that we just 'can't explain'. So what are ghosts, if they even truly exist? If they do, shouldn't the Bible have something to say about them, since they are spirits of dead people? Well, the Bible actually says very little about actual 'ghosts' (except for the Holy Ghost of course), but has much to say about what happens to us when we die. And therein lies the answer.
       The biggest fear that man faces in life, is of course, death. Many people, especially those who are not Christians, are afraid of dying and the unknown of what happens after. The author of Psalms 55:4-5 describes death as 'terror'. Job describes death as "The king of terror" in Job 18:14. This is the way most people view death, and many try to combat this fear with the possibility of remaining here on earth, communicating with our loved ones. The Bible though tells us what happens upon our death, and never once mentions our spirit still roaming around here.
       In 1 Thess. 4:14 and Daniel 12:2, scripture says that the body sleeps in death. The word sleep is from the Greek word 'Koimaomi', which simply means to lie down, not sleep as we know it. Now since these two verses do not mention the spirit after death, some will want to say the spirit continues on, maybe being trapped here for some reason. Of course, if we only would read other verses on this topic, it would help us understand.
       James tells us in James 2:26 that the spirit leaves the body upon death, they are separated. So what happens to it? At death, the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecc. 12:7) and will be assigned its final disposition, according to the way we lived our lives. Upon death, the righteous will be with Christ. Philippians 1:23 says "But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ." In Luke 23:43, Jesus tells the thief on the cross that he would be with Christ in Paradise, where all the righteous go upon death. Nothing is said about any roaming the earth.
       So what happens to the wicked upon death? Couldn't they possibly be stuck here, scaring all of us forever? Not even close. Psalms 116:3 tells of the wicked going to Sheol, and being in complete agony. In Matthew 22:13, the wicked will be met with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:46 might describe what happens in the simplest of terms. It reads "And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life". The evil spirits will not walk the earth, nor remain in a place called purgatory, trying to improve their standing with God. We have one chance here on earth to get it right with God.
       Upon death, if we are right with God, there will be a blissful reunion with the other righteous. Gen. 25:8 tells us that Abraham was gathered with his people upon his death. Since he was a very long way from his home when he died, he was gathered with them after his death, in Paradise. In Matthew 8:11, Jesus says that many would sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Again, nothing is ever spoken about spirits being trapped here on earth. So though the Bible doesn't speak of ghosts, it doesn't need to, because they don't exist.
       So, if they don't exist, what is it that so many people have seen or heard? What about so called 'reality' shows such as Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures? Remember, they are just shows that can be manipulated to show whatever they want us to see. And for those who think they have seen something? I can't explain away everything that people have witnessed, but we should keep in mind that our brains quite often can play tricks on us. If you believe in ghosts, and go into a place that is supposedly haunted, every shadow you see or noise you hear, will of course be a ghost. We also have a problem with letting loved ones go who have passed away, and our minds will lead us to believe that the shadow we see, or a certain smell, is that of our loved one. If you believe in God, and that the Bible is His Word, you must believe that upon death, our spirits return to Him.
       There have been stories of ghosts for as long as recorded history has been around. There have also been stories of vampires, goblins, zombies, fairies and other creatures that the vast majority of people know don't exist, yet for some reason, ghosts took hold of our imagination and won't let go. As a Christian, the thought of being trapped here on earth for eternity is not even a pleasant thought. We are just pilgrims passing through in our lives, hopefully living righteously so we can spend eternity with God in Heaven. Ghost stories are fun to try to scare each other with, but they are simply no more than myths.