I Samuel 28: 5-25
[sup]5[/sup]And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
[sup]6[/sup]And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
[sup]7[/sup]Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
[sup]8[/sup]And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
[sup]9[/sup]And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
[sup]10[/sup]And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
[sup]11[/sup]Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
[sup]12[/sup]And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
[sup]13[/sup]And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
[sup]14[/sup]And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
[sup]15[/sup]And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
[sup]16[/sup]Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
[sup]17[/sup]And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
[sup]18[/sup]Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
[sup]19[/sup]Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
[sup]20[/sup]Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
[sup]21[/sup]And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
[sup]22[/sup]Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.
[sup]23[/sup]But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
[sup]24[/sup]And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
[sup]25[/sup]And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.
I believe it was in fact Samuel that appeard to Saul. Many people believe it was a demonic spirit speaking to Saul through the woman practicing witchcraft at Endor. Samuel has intimate knowledge and details of the events that would unfold the next day. I don't believe demonic spirits have this amount of power. I believe this is something only God Himself or else His prophets can know. Samuel also had intimate knowledge of Saul's history. But if it was Samuel, it brings up a lot of amazing ideas.
Saul repeatedly disobeyed God and lost his Kingship. Saul also had become the enemy of God if it really was Samuel speaking. And Saul and his sons would also be with Samuel the next day. Does that mean they would simply be dead as was Samuel or that they would be "with Samuel" meaning you they would be in heaven as you would think surely Samuel is among the redeamed. If it was Samuel it also tends to refute this idea that a person's spirit goes immediately to be with Jesus even though their body stays in the ground. "Why have you disquieted me to bring me up". The passage doesn't say "why have you disquieted me to bring me down from heaven".
So, what do you all think? The witch was astonished that the person there was not a familiar spirit or a demon as she was expecting it to be. She seems to think that it was actually the spirit of Samuel himself. Comments?
I tend to agree with this view:
http://www.gotquestions.org/witch-of-endor.html
[sup]5[/sup]And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
[sup]6[/sup]And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
[sup]7[/sup]Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
[sup]8[/sup]And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
[sup]9[/sup]And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
[sup]10[/sup]And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
[sup]11[/sup]Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
[sup]12[/sup]And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
[sup]13[/sup]And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
[sup]14[/sup]And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
[sup]15[/sup]And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
[sup]16[/sup]Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
[sup]17[/sup]And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
[sup]18[/sup]Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
[sup]19[/sup]Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
[sup]20[/sup]Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
[sup]21[/sup]And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
[sup]22[/sup]Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.
[sup]23[/sup]But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
[sup]24[/sup]And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
[sup]25[/sup]And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.
I believe it was in fact Samuel that appeard to Saul. Many people believe it was a demonic spirit speaking to Saul through the woman practicing witchcraft at Endor. Samuel has intimate knowledge and details of the events that would unfold the next day. I don't believe demonic spirits have this amount of power. I believe this is something only God Himself or else His prophets can know. Samuel also had intimate knowledge of Saul's history. But if it was Samuel, it brings up a lot of amazing ideas.
Saul repeatedly disobeyed God and lost his Kingship. Saul also had become the enemy of God if it really was Samuel speaking. And Saul and his sons would also be with Samuel the next day. Does that mean they would simply be dead as was Samuel or that they would be "with Samuel" meaning you they would be in heaven as you would think surely Samuel is among the redeamed. If it was Samuel it also tends to refute this idea that a person's spirit goes immediately to be with Jesus even though their body stays in the ground. "Why have you disquieted me to bring me up". The passage doesn't say "why have you disquieted me to bring me down from heaven".
So, what do you all think? The witch was astonished that the person there was not a familiar spirit or a demon as she was expecting it to be. She seems to think that it was actually the spirit of Samuel himself. Comments?
I tend to agree with this view:
http://www.gotquestions.org/witch-of-endor.html