The belief that the dead can speak to us lies at the foundation of every pagan religion, and in so many cases, has also infiltrated major denominations in Christianity. The Bible is very clear in its instructions as to how folks should relate to this issue, because the ramifications, and consequences do extend to eternity. There is often a restless curiosity about future events, especially on a personal level, which drives millions to seek counsel from those who are deceased. But God gives us warning that any such conversations or communications are not coming from deceased relatives and friends, but instead are the direct result of intrusions made by evil spirits.
The belief that the dead can speak to us had its beginnings in the garden of Eden when satan first introduced the concept to an unsuspecting Eve, and ever since that fateful day, it has gained traction, to the point where it has now become a cornerstone in the belief systems of many world religions. In the teachings of Islam, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, as well as in the minds of many secularists, the spirits of dead friends and relatives continue to live on and with very many, these demonstrations have more weight than even the Bible itself. But the scripture points us to the very source of this soul-destroying teaching. Let’s read:
Genesis 3: Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
God strictly forbade his people, on pain of death, to consult with any witches, or wizards, fortune-tellers magicians, necromancers, and the likes, for just as it was in the beginning with Eve, the communications from these supposedly dead friends and relatives, would in fact be coming from the devil, and as such would result in complete, and irreversible demon possession, if God does not intervene. This is the reason why the Bible writers, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, identify the very source of all such demonstrations.
For example, when Balaam enticed the Hebrews to attend one of the Moabitish religious services, the sacrifices, the worship, and also the festivities they participated in were in honor of the dead, and thus by default, the devils who impersonated the dead. Let’s read:
Numbers 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.
Psalms 106:28 They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils.
Deuteronomy 32:16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
1st Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
Thus, our case study will involve a well-documented example of a so-called interaction with the dead, so that we may have clear concepts of truth and duty, and may thus be prepared to discern between the true and the false in our day. King Saul is distressed, because the philistines have amassed a large force to fight against Israel, but because of his previous stubbornness and rebellion, he gets no answer, or assurance from God, because rebellion is equivalent to witchcraft, being instigated by the same spirit. In addition to this, the prophet Samuel is very dead, so that Saul has no one to turn to in his predicament. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 28:3 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.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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?
10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 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.
13 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.
Let’s pause here for a moment to explain what is really taking place here, because many people have stumbled over the wording of the writer, and thus have erroneously concluded that it must have been Samuel, since the Bible says so. Samuel, who had been dead for some time, was the prophet of God through whom the Lord had given instructions to give to Saul previously. But king Saul had habitually disobeyed the voice of Samuel when he was alive, so now that the prophet is dead, it’s highly unlikely that Saul will obey his voice, and thus, The Lord will never resort to speaking through the channel of a medium.
Furthermore, God had repeatedly instructed the Hebrews to get rid of witches, and everyone who practiced dark arts, for they would be a continual snare to His people, should they be allowed to live. Thus, no reasonable individual can now expect God to cooperate with, or speak through someone who is directly opposed to His kingdom, and who had been slated for death. Let’s read:
Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Thus, the entity that appeared to Saul is none other than the same deadly foe who appeared to Eve in the garden of Eden, and who, as in that same first instance, has repeatedly displayed the ability to impersonate any, and all lesser life forms, including man, who was made a little lower than the angels. So the Bible confirms that Saul was speaking, not to the prophet Samuel, but directly to satan. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 10:13 So 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;
14 And enquired not of the Lord”…
However, as the communications between Saul and satan continue, another issue of interest emerges, that of being able to know future events, as was portrayed in the accurate prophecy of Saul’s death the following day. This aspect of the encounter has long been a source of debate as to whether or not the devils have such abilities. Through observation and manipulation, evil spirits can to a certain extent predict future events, which they are often actively engaged in bringing to pass. This however does not give them credence, nor should it be viewed as an endorsement from heaven.
The ability to foretell certain future events does not authorize anyone to forsake the grand truths, and principles of God’s word. A false prophet might be able to accurately predict some future events, but because they may come to pass does not mean that the designation of false prophet has been removed.
Let’s read:
1st Samuel 28:16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 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:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, … therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 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.
In our day, the same experience of Saul, and the witch of Endor is being repeated, for when nations and individuals are facing great danger, and when distressing circumstances may loom large on the horizon, very many people, instead of turning to the God of heaven, prefer to turn to the witch of Endor, in the form of astrologers, magicians, fortunetellers, séances, spiritual advisors, psychics, and the likes. Currently we are facing a dire predicament like no other, for pundits, experts, and professors alike are alarmed, and quite dismayed at how this election cycle is turning.
And just as king Saul was facing a national dilemma, when he turned to witchcraft for answers, we have to wonder if the same thing may not be taking place we speak. What is most disturbing about Saul and the séance with the witch of Endor, is that, as the leader of the nation, he has now come under the full sway of devils, and since there is a game called “Follow the leader”, he is now going to lead many thousands of people to irretrievable destruction and ruin. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
This is the reason why satan focuses most of his efforts on religious and political leaders, for once they come under his dominion, the multitudes are certain to follow. When the leaders of nations come under the control of evil spirits, as a direct result of resorting to séances, the citizens who follow in their train are also often subject to the fatal and adverse effects of their wrong course of action. Thus, when calamity strikes as a result, leaders and followers alike suffer the harsh consequences, just as with was with king Saul and his people.
And while we must never judge any current political leader, yet it is expedient for us to examine some of the undeniable facts, as it pertains to consultation with the dead, which as observed before, is actually direct communication with the same foe who lay in ambush, up in the tree of knowledge, of good and evil. Let’s read:
Nov 7th 2008. CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan on Friday to apologize for a remark about seances he made during his first news conference earlier in the day. When a reporter asked Obama if he had spoken with any ex-presidents since his election on Tuesday, he responded that he had spoken to all former presidents "that are living." "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know,
doing any seances," he said.
Nancy Reagan, wife of 40th President Ronald Reagan, was derided in 1988 when his former chief of staff Donald Regan revealed in a book that the first lady had consulted an astrologer to determine the president's schedule. President Reagan died in 2004 at 93. Other first ladies have reportedly used spiritual advisers. In his 1996 book, "The Choice," Washington Post editor and writer Bob Woodward said that as first lady, Senator Hillary Clinton had seance-like sessions at the White House during which she conversed with late first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was rumored to have held seances at the White House in order to contact her two dead sons, Eddie and Willie. She also reportedly went to seances under an assumed name after the president's death to attempt to contact him.
We observed in the precedents given, that it is at times of national peril, and uncertainty that many turn political and religious leaders turn to the witch of Endor for answers and guidance. We are now at such a time, and the current national uneasiness is encapsulated in the back and forth now taking place within the GOP, and other political circles. Let’s read:
Cnn by Brian Stelter August 31, 2016: 7:01 PM ET
This conservative media crackup has been happening for months, but this week it was broadcast on the airwaves like never before, with a verbal war of words involving Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, three of America's most popular talk radio hosts. Hannity, one of Trump's biggest boosters in the media, called out his counterparts for failing to support Trump and the GOP.
He said on Tuesday that he'll hold figures like Beck, columnist Jonah Goldberg and the conservative publication National Review responsible if Hillary Clinton beats Trump. "You own Hillary Clinton," Hannity said to them. Prominent anti-Trump commentator Bill Kristol tweeted this response: "Hannity has become Lady Macbeth: Gradually becoming more unhinged as the man in whom he believes falters." Beck responded differently, by saying there's no "holy war" going on and that he agrees with Hannity that Clinton "is a disaster." So what's happening? "All of us feel like we're trapped in a barn fire," Beck said, "so we don't know what to do."
Thus, the question we must answer for ourselves is, does the Bible state specifically that such situations will occur during the final days of earth’s history? And if so what should be our position and response, if, and when we get wind that our national, political, and religious leaders are confirmed to be consulting with the proverbial “Witch of Endor? For answers, and for counsel we turn to the scriptures, because the word of God has been given to guide our feet in the ways of righteousness.
As we begin to trace the history of monarchs and séances, a pretty disturbing trend emerges, for we soon discover that most national leaders in times past have consulted with the dead through their spiritual advisors, so this is nothing new, or unique to our day. Let’s read:
Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it
was a dream.
8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
Exodus 7:8 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
2nd kings 21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in
Jerusalem.
6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
Daniel 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they
came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
Revelation16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
The reason why this study is of particular import to us today, is because the belief that there is life after death opens up the floodgates of spiritualism, and therefore prepares the entire world for the ultimate manifestation of demonic activity, when satan is scheduled to make a direct appearance to all of humanity. The scriptures do warn us of this coming event which is to precede the coming of Christ, and thus it is incumbent upon us to study the scriptures, so that we may be able to distinguish between the counterfeit and the true. Let’s read:
2nd Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
[The Great Controversy pp. 624] As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Savior's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld.
The shout of triumph rings out upon the air., “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed his disciples when he was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Savior uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.
He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying, This is “the great power of God.”
We end with a word of warning, coming from the mouth of Christ, pertaining to these very issues we have been investigating, for they are much nearer than many, even amongst Christians, believe. Let’s read:
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word.
God bless!