Did Samuel appear to Saul in En-dor?

[TonyChanYT]

Probably not, not the real Samuel.

Leviticus 19:

31 “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.

King Saul solicited the service of a medium in En-dor, 1 Samuel 28:

11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel,

The writer thought it was Samuel.

she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.”

The medium was surprised that she saw Samuel.

13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god [elohim] coming up out of the earth.”

I think this was the spirit (elohim) figure that pretended to be the ghost of the dead Samuel.

14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?”

Saul could not see it.

And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

Saul thought it was Samuel. He was desperate about the war with the Philistines and wanted to consult Samuel.

15 Then Samuel said to Saul,

Again, the writer assumed that it was Samuel's spirit.

“Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams.

God did not want to answer Saul by normal legal means of communication.

Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.”

On the one hand, the writer, the medium, and Saul, all thought the spirit was Samuel. On the other hand, Moses disapproved of this summoning method (Lev 20:6, 27).

16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy?

The pretending spirit told the truth.

19 Moreover, the LORD will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines,

True

and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me.

True in the sense that they would die; false in the sense that not all of them would be with Samuel.

The LORD will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”

True.

A summary judgment is found in 1 Chronicles 10:

13 So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14 He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

God allowed the pretending spirit of Samuel to communicate some facts to Saul. Many years later, God allowed a spirit to tell lies in the mouth of Ahab's bad prophets (1 Kings 22). God used satan-adversaries to accomplish his purposes one way or another.

Did the real Samuel appear to Saul in En-dor?

Yes, with a weight of 3.

No, with a weight of 7. I put more weight on Moses' prohibition.

 

[Randy Kluth]

Probably not, not the real Samuel.

Leviticus 19:


King Saul solicited the service of a medium in En-dor, 1 Samuel 28:


The writer thought it was Samuel.


The medium was surprised that she saw Samuel.


I think this was the spirit (elohim) figure that pretended to be the ghost of the dead Samuel.


Saul could not see it.


Saul thought it was Samuel. He was desperate about the war with the Philistines and wanted to consult Samuel.


Again, the writer assumed that it was Samuel's spirit.


God did not want to answer Saul by normal legal means of communication.


On the one hand, the writer, the medium, and Saul, all thought the spirit was Samuel. On the other hand, Moses disapproved of this summoning method (Lev 20:6, 27).


The pretending spirit told the truth.


True


True in the sense that they would die; false in the sense that not all of them would be with Samuel.


True.

A summary judgment is found in 1 Chronicles 10:


God allowed the pretending spirit of Samuel to communicate some facts to Saul. Many years later, God allowed a spirit to tell lies in the mouth of Ahab's bad prophets (1 Kings 22). God used satan-adversaries to accomplish his purposes one way or another.

Did the real Samuel appear to Saul in En-dor?

Yes, with a weight of 3.

No, with a weight of 7. I put more weight on Moses' prohibition.

I do think the witch was allowed to see Samuel, just as the false prophet Balaam was allowed to see the future of Israel. God gives visions to righteous and unrighteous alike, when it serves His purpose.

In this case, God wanted to condemn both the witch and Saul. I do think Saul will be "with Samuel" as one of God's chosen ones. He was simply disobedient, which for God was an extreme disappointment. Saul had a deep recognition of David's worth and tried to draw upon it, but failed. My opinion only.