Did the witch of Endor really call up Samuel, and does this story prove that dead souls
live outside of the body?
It's time to UNLEARN the lies.
UNLEARN
Hey, welcome to UNLEARN.
My name is Lex, and I'd like to invite you to join us each week as we UNLEARN the lies
and dig deeper into the truth of God's Word.
Now, let's get started.
The Bible talks about how Saul obtained help from a witch to try to communicate with the
spirit of Samuel.
This particular event is used to support the belief that disembodied spirits remain alive
after their body dies.
Many people also believe the spirit or soul of the dead go immediately to heaven or hell.
However, that’s not what the Bible says.
As we look at the events of Saul and the witch of Endor I see three possible scenarios.
The first scenario is that it was actually the spirit of Samuel that was raised up by
the witch.
This is the most popular understanding, but I think it has the most problems, and we will
see why in a moment.
The second possibility is that the witch summoned a demon that pretended to be Samuel.
This is quite possible since witches gain power through demons, and the Bible even says
she had a “familiar spirit”, which most likely refers to a demon.
And the third possible scenario is that there was no spirit at all and the witch simply
tricked Saul to get back at him for banishing the necromancers from the kingdom.
Considering other things that are said in the Bible, I think this is also very likely,
and we will look at those things as well.
Keep those three scenarios in mind as we look at the Scriptures that deal with these issues.
The account of the witch of Endor is found in 1 Samuel chapter 28.
This chapter starts out by telling us that Samuel died and Saul got rid of everyone who
practiced necromancy.
“Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even
in his own city.
And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.”
- 1 Samuel 28:3
Some translations say mediums or necromancers, but this translation says “familiar spirits”.
Ultimately they all mean the same thing.
The Hebrew word used here is “Ob” and means “a leather bottle” because of the
hollow sounds they make when doing their séance, and it refers to mediums, necromancers, or
those who have a familiar spirit.
Saul put away the necromancers because the Bible says they should not even be found among
God’s people.
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through
the fire, or one 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.
For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations
the Lord your God drives them out from before you.”
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Saul should have heeded the warning of Leviticus though, because it tells us not to consult
with them.
“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled
by them: I am the Lord your God.”
- Leviticus 19:31
In fact, it is quite possible that Saul died as a result of turning to a necromancer for
advice, because the Bible says the person who does that will be cut off.
“And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with
them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.”
- Leviticus 20:6
It was good that Saul cast the necromancers out of the kingdom, but according to the Bible,
he should have had them stoned to death.
“A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put
to death; they shall stone them with stones.
Their blood shall be upon them.”
- Leviticus 20:27
If he had stoned all of the necromancers as the Bible says, then he would have never gotten
himself into the situation that he did.
Alright, let’s move on.
We find out that the Philistines gathered against Israel, and Saul was afraid and didn’t
know what to do, so he asked God for help, but when he didn’t get a response from God,
he decided to consult with a medium instead.
“And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams,
nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
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.” - 1 Samuel 28:7
Notice that God was not speaking to Saul at all, not even through the prophets, and Samuel
was one of the prophets.
In fact, Samuel was the main prophet during the time of Saul, which is why Saul tried
to contact him.
So, if God was not speaking to Saul through the prophets, then why would God allow a witch
to raise up Samuel to speak to Saul?
This is the first problem I see with the idea that it was actually the ghost of Samuel.
Next we see that Saul disguised himself and went to speak with the woman, and asked her
to bring up the spirit of Samuel.
“…and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him
up, whom I shall name unto thee…
Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee?
And he said , Bring me up Samuel.”
- 1 Samuel 28:8-11
Notice that Saul asked her to use a "familiar spirit" to call up Samuel.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a “familiar spirit” is “a spirit or demon that serves
or prompts an individual.”
This is why God forbids the practice of mediums, divination, and necromancy, because it involves
the use of evil spirits.
“Sorcerers or necormancers, who professed to call up the dead to answer questions, were
said to have a "familiar spirit”…
Such a person was called by the Hebrews an 'Ob , Which properly means a leathern bottle;
for sorcerers were regarded as vessels containing the inspiring demon.
This Hebrew word was equivalent to the pytho of the Greeks, and was used to denote both
the person and the spirit which possessed him.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary
By saying the woman had a familiar spirit, the Bible is the telling us that she was demon
possessed.
It is believed that these demons would assist witches in their divination and practice of
magic.
The term necromancy is derived from a combination of two Greek words, nekrós meaning "dead
body", and manteía meaning "prophecy or divination".
Therefore, the witch was using divination with the aid of her personal demon (or familiar
spirit) to speak to the dead.
After she preformed her séance, she was afraid because of what she saw, but Saul admonished
her to tell him about it.
“And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou?
And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods (Elohim) ascending out of the earth.
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.”
- 1 Samuel 28:13-14
The witch claimed to see elohim ascending from the ground.
The word Elohim is typically translated as "gods" and in this case seems to refer to
spirits.
This word can be used in reference to the one true God, but it can also used in reference
to pagan gods.
It’s important to point out that the Bible tells us that pagan gods are actually demons.
“...the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and
I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:20
As a side note, some people think that the righteous dead go immediately to heaven, which
is not Biblical.
The Bible says the dead wait in their grave for the resurrection, and I have several teachings
about this if you are interested.
They like to use this verse to say that Samuel is alive in heaven, but if Samuel was in heaven,
then why does this spirit come up from the ground?
Coming up from the ground indicates that he came up from the grave or the pit.
If this was actually the spirit of Samuel, we must assume that his spirit was not in
heaven, but in the grave.
Notice also that Samuel said, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?", indicating
that Samuel was resting in the grave, and Saul disturbed his sleep.
However, I believe it’s more likely that this was a demonic spirit that came to deceive
Saul.
The text itself is a bit ambiguous because the witch said she saw “gods”, but “Saul
perceived that it was Samuel.”
This is important to note, because the entire encounter is based on Saul’s perception.
Was his perception right?
Was this really Samuel, or was Saul deceived?
The Bible speaks about lying spirits who speak through false prophets to declare disaster
against those who seek them.
“Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, 'I will persuade him.'
The Lord said to him, 'In what way?'
So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.'
And the Lord said, 'You shall persuade him, and also prevail.
Go out and do so.'
Therefore look!
The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord
has declared disaster against you.”
- 1 Kings 22:21-23
I think it’s very possible thats what happened to Saul.
He sought help from a witch and a lying spirit deceived him and declared disaster against
him.
The spirit told Saul that God is his enemy, and he is about to die and be with Samuel.
This is another indicator that Samuel was not in heaven, because if Saul is God’s
enemy, then he wouldn’t join Samuel in heaven.
But if Samuel was in the grave waiting for the resurrection, then Saul could join him
there.
“Then Samuel said: ‘Why then do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you
and has become your enemy?…
Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines.
And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me…’”
- 1 Samuel 28:16-19
The main reason why I don’t believe this was actually the spirit of Samuel is because
the Bible says the dead know nothing.
“For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no
more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:5
If the dead know nothing, how would Samuel be able to tell Saul anything?
It’s interesting to note that the practice of necromancy actually has connections with
ventriloquism.
In fact, the Septuagint uses the Greek word gastromancy, from the words gastēr meaning
"belly" and manteia meaning "prophecy", indicating divination by use of guttural sounds, and
translated as ”ventriloquist” in English.
The medium (or ventriloquist) would chirp, whisper, and mutter during their séance,
and these noises were thought to be the voices of the dead.
The Bible even mentions the mutterings and whispers of mediums in Isaiah.
“And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and
mutter,’ should not a people seek their God?
Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?”
- Isaiah 8:19
Remember that the Hebrew word “Ob” means leather bottle, and Strong’s Exhaustive
Concordance says this about it:
“properly, a mumble, i.e.
A water skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar)
-- bottle, familiar spirit.”
- Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
This is what the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew English Lexicon says about it:
“as chirping & muttering, in practice of their art of seeking dead for instruction,
probably ventriloquism” - Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says this:
“These terms refer to the necromancers themselves…
who practiced ventriloquism in connection with their magical rites.
- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
And the Jewish Encyclopedia has this to say about it:
“The Septuagint generally translates the word by "ventriloquist," deriving this meaning
from the tone of voice adopted by the necromancer…
The "possessor of the ob" stooped while speaking, to make it appear as if the spirit spoke from
his joints and arms… the speech of these necromancers being therefore called whispering
and muttering” - Jewish Encyclopedia
Notice that all of these Concordances and Lexicons offer ventriloquist as a proper definition
of the Hebrew word “ob.”
What if the conversation with Samuel was a clever deception of a skilled ventriloquist?
She was recently banished by Saul, who was now seeking her help.
She could have easily used this as an opportunity to get even with him.
All she really did was reinforce his own fears by telling him the Philistines would defeat
him in battle.
However, Saul was not slain in battle, he killed himself, which could be considered
an act of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Think about mediums today.
They are either demon possessed or they are charlatans who trick people into thinking
they speak to the dead.
I believe these are the two most likely scenarios for the witch of Endor as well.
Either she spoke to a demon who pretended to be Samuel, or she tricked Saul through
ventriloquism.
Thinking that it was actually the spirit of Samuel seems to contradict what the Bible
is telling us, because the Bible tells us the dead know nothing, and this text itself
tells us that God didn’t speak to Saul through the prophets.
This event becomes sort of a satire in which King Saul seeks help from the dead but ends
up killing himself.
It shows the irony of seeking help from the dead, because the dead can do nothing to help
the living.
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