S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The story of the witch of Endor summoning Samuel is recorded in 1 Samuel 28:7-20, the only biblical account of someone being visited by someone who was deceased. Saul, having deprived himself of ev...

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July 01 2013 • 5 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Frantz Philossaint Supporter

This is a very interesting story in the bible. Most people believe that Samuel was present in this meeting but the bible proves otherwise. Not for one moment did Satan have power to call the holy prophet of God. ALSO GOD DID NOT SUMMON SAMUEL TO A WITCH'S CAVE. We know for a fact that God was not communicating with Saul in 1 Samuel 28:6. It says the Lord had already refused to communicate with Saul, by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets. 

Also the act of Saul in consulting a witch is cited in Scripture as a reason why God rejected him. Read this bible text carefully: 1 Chronicles 10:13,14 "Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; And enquired not of the LORD: there he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse."

Saul did not communicate with Samuel, but through the sorceress he held communication with Satan. Satan could not present the real Samuel but he did present a counterfeit, that served his purpose of deception. Almost all forms of ancient sorcery and witchcraft were founded upon a belief in communion with the dead. God did not allow an exception because God does not mingle good with evil, Isaiah 5:20; 2 Corinthians 6:14. 

This practice of consulting the dead is mentioned in Isaiah 8:19 "When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? For the living to the dead?"

We still have this going on today where people are trying to consult with the dead. It is called SPIRITUALISM and it's a deception. Since the beginning the devil has been lying John 8:43,44. He told Eve the same lie "You shall not surely die" Genesis 3:4. Also when you die you neither go to heaven or to hell the bible teaches that you are asleep and the dead know not anything Ecclesiastes 9:5,6; Psalms 146:4 and John 11:11-14.

The Lord speaks against people who are seeking the dead or trying to communicate with them Leviticus 20:6. These familiar spirits are not the spirits of the dead but they are evil angels, messengers of Satan profiling as the dead spirits. In the scriptures the bible portray these acts in 1 Timothy 4:1 as doctrines of devils to lead those to depart from the faith. 

We need to test everything by the WORD OF GOD which is the bible. "When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? For the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.Isaiah 8:19,20"

The demon message to Saul although was a message of destruction and retribution to him it didn't at all lead him to repentance but to ruin him. This is the purpose of Satan and God's purpose is to restore and lead all men to repentance 2 Peter 3:9. 

Spiritualism declares that there is no death, no sin, no judgement, no retribution; that men are unfallen demigods, that desire is the highest law; and that man is accountable only to himself. The barriers that God has erected to guard truth, purity, and reverence are broken down, and many are thus emboldened in sin. Does not such teaching suggest an origin similar to that of demon worship?

The word of the Lord addressed to anicent Israel is also to us today. "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: "for all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord." Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:12. PP

We have to be focused and study the word because the devil has a short time. Revelation 12:10,12.

August 14 2014 • 12 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jennifer Henkel Supporter Bible/History Middle School Teacher, Lover of the OT!

I agree with Michael that God made an exception this one time, and let Samuel appear to King Saul.

My reasoning is because the witch, who was used to speaking with evil spirits, screams when she sees Samuel - this was obviously not who she is used to working with. The witch also knows immediately that her customer is King Saul, knowledge she had not had previously.

Lastly, Samuel predicts the future - the events of the next day, to be exact. What he predicts comes to pass exactly. Demons know the past, but they do not know the future.

January 06 2014 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe Supporter

The short answer is no, the Bible tells that witches cannot communicate with the dead or bring any message from God. The Bible is very clear that demons can impersonate other beings (see 2 Corinthians 11:14). 

Several elements of the story do not make any sense: The Bible states that God refused to speak to Saul through His prophets. Yet the story tells that the spirit “Samuel” did speak to Saul, and even delivered a prophetic message (1 Samuel 28:16-19). If God did not speak to Saul through the prophets, yet Samuel delivered a prophetic message anyway, then Samuel would have been in rebellion against God. Why would Samuel, a man who was obedient to God all of his life, choose to rebel after his death? It’s simply illogical. Furthermore, Samuel was dead (1 Samuel 28:3) and the Bible teaches that the dead know nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6; Psalm 115:17).

More importantly, God gave specific instructions against performing witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, or even associating with people who did these things (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Leviticus 20:27). Would be against God's character to use a witch to communicate with Saul or anyone else. 

The spirit that appeared to Saul could not have been from heaven, because God had specifically forbidden all such forms of communication with the dead. If the spirit wasn’t Samuel, it could only have been a demon. Demons appearing to people on earth cannot tell us anything about life after death.

Lastly, the issue regarding the accuracy of the massage given to Saul by the witch. Although Satan cannot tell the future, he is a fallen angel with a high intellect and good ability to guess what will happen next. Even Saul knew that God abandoned him and his fate was sealed; however, he was a desperate man hoping for a miracle.

December 10 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Holuwadamilarey Hardeloye Supporter BIBLE STUDENT

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2 :12-13 that we should ensure that we do not use human wisdom to interpret the scriptures but use God wisdom by comparing spiritual things with spiritual.The Bible is a spiritual book.

My answer to this question goes thus:
The scripture says in Hebrew 9:27 that It is 
appointed unto man to die only once, after this the judgement. (KJV) 
The spirit that was evoked by the witch of Endor could not have been that of Samuel. The scripture says that there is no re -incarnation, therefore it was an evil spirit governed by the principalities and powers of the darkness of this world that took the form of Prophet Samuel (Ephesains 6 :10-12). Unfortunately, the spirit of God departed from Saul and was tormented by evil spirit.

As recorded in ROMANS 1 :28-32, since Saul did not retain God in his knowledge, He gave him over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting, hence Saul approached the witch to find solution to his problems where there was no solution.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-30 is a clear demonstration that the dead cannot come back to life unless during the judgement day. Please pay particular attention to Verses 27 -30 of the above passage 

In conclusion, the Bible says flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God, and all the saved persons will have a spiritual body that cannot be recognised, because they will be in spirit like the angels, therefore the spirit evoked by this witch was not of Prophet Samuel because we cannot see the spirit.
This is my understanding of this question. 
May God give us understanding of His word (Amen)

March 12 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt Supporter

I Samuel 28:7-25 describes Saul visiting the witch of Endor. Because God was no longer speaking to Saul by “dreams or by Urim or by the prophets,” 28:6, Saul resorted to this illicit avenue to determine what he should do. While much debate has arisen concerning what happened, here are some thoughts about it. 

It must be understood that God would not use illegal means He had prohibited, Deuteronomy 18:10-11. Because of Saul’s disobedience and despising the truth, God would not reveal His plans through divine means, by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets. There is no reason for Him to use this form of communication. I Chronicles 10:13-14 indicates Saul died because he consulted a medium for guidance. God has never condoned it, Isaiah 8:19, nor would He use it. 

The interaction between Saul and the witch reveals much. In verse 7, Saul asks his servants to locate a woman who is a medium. Readily the servants suggest one. Saul had eradicated mediums and spiritists, I Samuel 28:3, 9. How had she survived? Did Saul know her?

Saul reassured the woman that she would not be punished. But how could this person swear and guarantee her protection unless he were in some official capacity as the king? His coming to her in disguise would not fool her. For one thing, he was a very tall man, head and shoulders above any of the people, I Samuel 10:23. Also, for one to arrange a visit at night revealed that this visitor was an important one. He probably came with an entourage. She must have known who he was. Her later 'shock' was but a charade – she was no amateur but had mastered her skills in this.

So, she plays along, asking Saul who he would like to see. The words of I Samuel 28:11-12 are what a spectator would observe, not necessarily happening as literally presented. It is not said that Samuel’s spirit actually appeared. She likely created the illusion and impersonated the well-known but deceased Samuel. After all she was an expert in this sort of thing, a demonic con artist, using ventriloquism. For her occupation, she had to be convincing. 

Saul had to ask what she saw and the description, v13-14. In his desperate state of mind, he perceived what he really did not see and accepted that it was Samuel. She was good at this.

The séance of I Samuel 28:15-19, was part of her deception. She very well knew all the details allegedly spoken by Samuel. The witch was not in the dark about current events, probably keeping up with all the gossip and news for her line of work. She would know it was a matter of time before the Philistines would rout Israel in battle. And it is possible the prediction of the death of Saul and his sons the next day could have been provided by demons.

The account makes sense when the witch is understood as one very adept at her work.

March 05 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report