Lesson 9
King Saul was at his wit's end and trembling with fear. The entire Philistine army had gathered to attack Israel's smaller and weaker troops. Saul moaned, "If only Samuel were here, he would tell me what to do." But the great prophet of Israel had died a few years earlier.
The aged monarch tried desperately to find some advice or guidance from other prophets or priests, but the Lord would not speak to him. As a young man, Saul had been close to God. But after ascending the throne, he became cruel and rebelled against God's Word. Once he even had a whole village of priests murdered. King Saul had persistently refused to listen to the Lord, and now in his distress, God would not answer him.
"Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her." 1 Samuel 28:7. God had clearly commanded His people never to consult a witch or medium (Leviticus 19:31 20:27), but Saul now had little regard for God's implicit instruction.
Upon finding a woman in Endor who claimed to consult with the dead, the king disguised himself and went to see her. He said to the medium, "Bring me up Samuel." The witch went through her spells and enchantments until an apparition claiming to be Samuel the prophet appeared and gave the king an utterly hopeless message. It predicted that Saul and his three sons would die in battle the next day.
The following day Saul's sons were slain by the Philistines, and afterward the wounded and discouraged king fell on his sword and took his own life (1 Samuel 31:2-4). Who spoke to Saul through the witch -- a resurrected prophet of God, or a devil in disguise?
1. Was the form that Saul saw actually Samuel the prophet?
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2. Do the dead come back to converse with or to haunt the living?
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NOTE: No! The Bible is clear. A dead person does nothing and knows nothing about what is happening on earth.
Psalms 115:17 The dead praise not the Lord.
Psalms 6:5 In death there is no remembrance of thee.
Job 7:10 He shall return no more to his house.
Isaiah 38:18 Death can not celebrate thee.
Psalms 146:4 His thoughts perish.3. According to the book of Revelation, who has the keys of death?
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NOTE: The Bible is clear. Only Jesus has the keys of death. We should go to His Word for answers to our questions about death.4. How did God make man in the beginning?
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NOTE: Two things happened at Creation: (1) God formed man from the dust, or earth, and (2) He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Thus man became a living soul.5. What happens at death?
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NOTE: What takes place at death is the opposite from what happened during Creation. The body returns to dust and the spirit, or breath, returns to God who gave it. The Bible clearly teaches that the "spirit" that returns to God is simply the breath of life, which God breathed into man in the beginning (James 2:26, margin; Job 27:3, margin; Job 33:4). Psalms 104:29, 30 states: "Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit [breath], they are created."6. Where do the dead go when they die?
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NOTE: The dead, both righteous and unrighteous, are in their graves and will hear Jesus' voice calling them forth from the grave to reward or punishment.7. The Bible makes it plain that King David is saved. Is he in heaven now?
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NOTE: No! The apostle Peter plainly stated that David is dead and buried--not alive in heaven. Furthermore, Hebrews 11:32-40 makes it clear that all the faithful of the ages have not yet been rewarded, but rather, will all be rewarded together (verses 39, 40).8. But isn't it true that the soul is immortal and that only the body dies?
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NOTE: We are souls, and souls do die. Man is mortal. Only God is immortal. The widely believed teaching of the undying, immortal soul is not found in the Bible. The teaching is man-made.9. When will the righteous be given immortality?
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NOTE: Yes, the righteous will be given immortality at the resurrection. The wicked never receive it.10. How does the Bible repeatedly refer to death?
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NOTE: The Bible often refers to death as sleep. Death is a state of total unconsciousness, during which 15 minutes or a thousand years seem the same. The dead simply "sleep" in their graves until the resurrection, when all will be raised by Jesus. The teaching that the spirits of the dead are heavenly angels, or some righteous ghostlike entity that can be contacted, is without scriptural foundation.11. Since wizards, witches, and psychics cannot contact the dead, whom are they contacting?
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NOTE: Heaven's angels are called "ministering spirits" (Hebrews 1:14) who help people on earth. The angels who were cast out of heaven with Satan (Revelation 12:7-9) are also spirits--evil spirits who deceive people by working miracles (Revelation 16:13, 14). They use "all power and signs and lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians 2:9), and can even make "fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" (Revelation 13:13). When psychics claim to be contacting spirits of the dead, they are really in touch with Satan's fallen angels (Isaiah 8:19, 20).12. Why does Satan want us to believe that the spirits of the dead are really alive?
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NOTE: Satan's first lie to mankind was "Ye shall not surely die." Genesis 3:4. He wants people to believe that the spirits of the dead are alive so his angels can pose as saints, prophets, and righteous leaders who have died and so that he can pose as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Thus, he can deceive people by the millions. Utilizing these evil spirits is called "spiritism." It is based on a two-part belief: (1) the dead are alive, and (2) they can contact you, or you can contact them. This is one of Satan's most damaging teachings. Yet almost the whole world believes it today. The witch of Endor did not call up Samuel. Rather, she saw an evil angel who posed as Samuel.13. How effective will Satan's use of these evil spirits be in the last days?
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NOTE: By Satan's miracles (sorceries) through his evil angels, he will deceive virtually the entire world.14. How does God regard these miracles by evil angels?
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NOTE: In Moses' day, God commanded that all psychics be put to death. Today He insists that sorcery is a work of the flesh, for which people will be destroyed. He warns that when you dabble with psychics you leave the faith, and He tells us that all sorcerers will die the second death in the lake of fire.15. What glorious power does God offer His people?
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NOTE: Jesus offers us the same power to live right that raised Him from the dead. Fantastic! How can we fail with such incredible power given us--and that with no cost to us? Jesus, because He loves us, solemnly warns us away from the power and miracles of evil angels and offers to work the divine miracles needed to prepare us for His kingdom (Philippians 1:6).16. Would you like to accept Jesus' offer to give you the power of the resurrection in your life?
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