The "familiar spirits" were not the spirits of the dead, but evil angels, the messengers of Satan. Ancient idolatry, which, as we have seen, comprises both worship of the dead and pretended communion with them, is declared by the Bible to have been demon worship. The apostle Paul, in warning his brethren against participating, in any manner, in the idolatry of their heathen neighbors, says, "The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God, and I would not that ye 686 should have fellowship with devils." 1 Corinthians 10:20. The psalmist, speaking of Israel, says that "they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils," and in the next verse he explains that they sacrificed them "unto the idols of Canaan." Psalm 106:37, 38. In their supposed worship of dead men they were in reality worshiping demons.

De omtalte "genfærd" var ikke de afdødes ånder, men onde engle, Satans sendebud. Bibelen betegner fortidens afgudsdyrkelse, der - som vi har set - både indbefatter tilbedelse af de døde og tilsyneladende samkvem med dem, som dæmondyrkelse. Da apostlen Paulus advarede sine brødre imod at have noget som helst at gøre med deres hedenske medmenneskers afgudsdyrkelse, sagde han : "Nej! men hvad man ofrer, det ofrer man til onde ånder og ikke til Gud; og jeg vil ikke, at I skal have noget fællesskab med de onde ånder." 1. Kor. 10, 20. Salmisten siger om israelitterne: "Til dæmonerne ofrede de, og det både sønner og døtre," og i det næste vers forklarer han, at de ofrede til "Kanaan guder". Sl. 106, 37-38. Menneskene troede, at de tilbad afdøde mennesker, mens de i virkeligheden tilbad dæmoner.