The practice of lighting candles for the dead is common in many cultures and religious traditions. However, what does the Bible say about this practice? Here is an in-depth look at what Scripture teaches regarding lighting candles for the deceased.
The Origin of Candle Lighting
The custom of lighting candles for the dead has its roots in ancient pagan religions. In many ancient cultures, candles were lit to help guide the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. Candlelight was thought to illuminate the darkness and comfort souls as they transitioned to the next world. Pagan Greeks and Romans would light candles at burial sights to protect the deceased. Celtic pagan rituals involved candle lighting to communicate with dead ancestors. In Catholicism, votive candles are lit before statues of saints and at shrines to honor the dead. Thus, the practice of lighting candles for the departed has its origins in non-Christian religious rituals.
What Does the Bible Say About Candles for the Dead?
When evaluating any religious practice, the question for Christians is: what does the Bible teach? There are no biblical examples of believers in the early church lighting candles for dead loved ones. Jesus and the apostles never instituted such a ritual. There is also no command or instruction given in Scripture to light candles as a way to honor the dead. Thus, there is no direct biblical support for this practice.
Furthermore, lighting candles for the dead conflicts with key biblical truths. First, attempting to communicate with the dead is prohibited. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 warns against anyone “who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.” Only God has power over departed souls, not candles lit by human hands. Consulting the dead is an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:12).
Second, lighting candles can slide into idolatry. Burning candles before statues or images of saints—as is done in Catholicism—breaks the second commandment prohibiting idols (Exodus 20:4-5). Our prayers and petitions should be offered to God alone. Lighting candles to interact with the deceased comes dangerously close to worshipping the dead, which Scripture forbids.
Third, there is no need to light candles for departed Christians because their souls are in heaven. Paul declared, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) and to be “away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Hebrews 12:23 speaks of “the spirits of righteous men made perfect.” Those who die in Christ reside safely in God’s presence. They do not need candles lit on earth to help their soul’s journey.
Practical Considerations
Some argue that lighting a candle is merely a way to remember loved ones, not communicate with the dead. However, the practice remains closely tied to unbiblical religious rituals for the deceased. There are better ways for Christians to remember loved ones that avoid potentially idolatrous practices.
Attending a wake, visiting graves, sharing memories, looking at photos, or celebrating important dates provide comfort and honor the dead apart from superstitious rituals. If a reminder is needed, Christians can light a candle and reflect on cherished memories without attaching religious significance to the act. The emphasis should be remembrance, not lighting candles for the dead.
Candles lit during worship services are to glorify God, not honor the dead (Revelation 4:5). Placing candles around permanent church altars or on gravesites blurs the line between worshipping God and false practices tied to the deceased. Lighting candles specifically for the dead easily strays into unbiblical syncretism.
Warnings Against False Religion
The Bible consistently warns God’s people against following pagan religious practices. The prophet Jeremiah lamented, “they go after false idols and become false, they follow the nations around them” (Jeremiah 2:5). The Psalms declare, “their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see” (Psalm 115:4-5). Habakkuk 2:18 condemns those who say to a wooden idol, “wake up!” Isaiah warns against those who “consult the idols and mediums” (Isaiah 8:19). Consulting the dead through any means, including candle lighting, is strictly forbidden.
Jesus said God desires worship “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), not through superstitious rituals. Paul teaches Christians to avoid getting captured by “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world” (Colossians 2:8). Lighting candles for the dead, while meaningful for some, falls into this category when not kept in biblical perspective. Christians should flee from mixing biblical faith with pagan-rooted practices that honor the dead.
Freedom in Christ
The Bible grants freedom to believers with clean consciences to participate in certain practices, even if they have pagan roots, so long as it does not violate clear scriptural teachings. Paul addresses this concept in 1 Corinthians 8 regarding food sacrificed to idols. However, lighting candles for the dead involves more than just corrupted food. It is a religious ritual centered around communing with the dead, which Scripture clearly forbids. Christians should exercise restraint and discernment when it comes to candle lighting for the deceased given its spiritual implications.
So while the Bible does not explicitly prohibit the lighting of candles in remembrance of loved ones, Christians should be cautious. This practice easily morphs into idolatry, worship of the dead, and communication with the deceased. There are other more suitable ways for believers to honor the dead that do not come with the same spiritual risks.
Focus on Christ
Rather than obsessing over the dead, Christians are called to focus on eternal life found in Christ alone. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Christ’s light drives out darkness and superstition. His resurrection defeats death and offers hope to believers. The Bible points those grieving loved ones to the resurrection and the new creation yet to come, where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
The Scriptures offer genuine comfort without promoting pagan-rooted rituals for the dead. Clinging to Christ brings everlasting peace and joy in the midst of grief. Christians can remember loved ones with biblical hope and without unbiblical candle-lighting rituals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Didn’t people light candles in the Bible?
Candles were sometimes lit in Scripture, but not for the dead. The Jewish menorah lit the temple (Exodus 25:31-40). Candlelight provided light in homes at night before electricity. But there are no examples of people lighting candles to honor or communicate with the dead.
Don’t candles represent Christ as the light of the world?
Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). But lighting candles for the deceased does not honor Christ or represent His light. This is a religious ritual rooted in paganism, not Scripture. There are better ways for Christians to focus on Christ and biblical truth.
What if I just do it as a cultural tradition, not a religious ritual?
Since candle lighting for the dead is so closely tied to pagan religious rituals, it is difficult to separate the cultural tradition from the spiritual implications. It is best for Christians to avoid potentially idolatrous cultural practices in favor of more clearly honoringbiblical truth.
Should I refuse to light candles for dead loved ones so I don’t endorse the practice?
Each Christian must follow his or her conscience on matters the Bible does not directly address. If asked to light candles for a deceased loved one, one can politely refuse while still honoring the deceased in other ways. But do so gently, without judgment, and focused on biblical truth.
What about lighting candles on gravesites or memorials?
This should be avoided since the practice easily slips into idolatry and attempts to communicate with the dead, which Scripture forbids. There are better ways for Christians to memorialize dead loved ones without potentially idolatrous rituals.
Is it always wrong to light candles for the dead?
The Bible does not strictly forbid it, but also nowhere promotes the practice. Christians should exercise caution and discernment regarding any potential promotion of pagan-rooted rituals over sound biblical theology. There are other suitable ways to remember loved ones.
What about All Souls’ Day candle lighting in the Catholic Church?
All Souls’ Day promotes unbiblical practices like praying for the dead and lighting candles to help their souls. These rituals wrongly imply the dead need assistance and honor them in ways that contradict Scripture’s warnings against communicating with the dead.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the practice of lighting candles for the dead has pagan origins and contains elements of idolatry and communing with the dead that conflict with biblical truth. While the Bible does not strictly prohibit the modern practice of lighting candles in remembrance of loved ones, Christians should exercise caution due to the ritual’s close ties to false religion and the occult. The safest approach is for Christians to remember their dead apart from any ritual that could promote pagan theology over sound biblical truth.
Rather than lighting candles for the deceased, believers must cling to the light and hope found only in Christ (John 8:12). His resurrection secures eternal life for those who trust in Him (1 Corinthians 15:1-58). The Bible points grieving Christians to the promise of a future resurrection and the new creation where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Our focus must remain on Jesus, not pagan-rooted rituals.
