Do you think Saul actually saw Samuel during the seance? Why or why not?

Question

1 Samuel 28:14

Answer 1

Saul turns to spiritism. About a year or two later (1Sa 29:3), the Philistines came against Saul. Without Jehovah’s spirit and guidance, and abandoned to a disapproved mental state, he turned to spiritism, a transgression worthy of death. (Le 20:6) Disguised, Saul went to see a spirit medium at En-dor, requesting that she bring up the dead Samuel for him. From her description of what she saw, Saul concluded that it was Samuel. However, it should be noted that Jehovah had not answered Saul’s inquiries and obviously did not do so by means of a practice condemned by His law as warranting the death penalty. (Le 20:27) Therefore, what the woman said must have been of demonic origin. The message gave no comfort to Saul but filled him with fear.

Obviously, it was not really Samuel that the spirit medium had contacted. Samuel was dead, and at death a person “goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.” (Psalm 146:4) A little thinking on the matter further shows that the voice was not really that of dead Samuel. Samuel was God’s prophet. So he had opposed spirit mediums. And, as we have seen, while he was alive he had refused to speak any more with disobedient Saul. So, then, if Samuel were still alive, would he allow a spirit medium to arrange for him to meet Saul? Think too: Jehovah had refused to give Saul any information. Could a spirit medium force Jehovah to give Saul a message through dead Samuel? And if the living could actually talk with dead loved ones, surely a God of love would not say that they had become “unclean” because of turning to a spirit medium.

Answer 2

In 1 Samuel 28:14 we read; “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.”

You find that this personage that is suppose to be Samuel is covered with a mantle. Mantles covered the entire body so that the person could not be seen fully. The witch said that she saw Samuel, but how could that be when this personage was covered with a mantle? She thought that it was Samuel that she had summoned and she also believed that she had in fact brought Samuel from the grave.

And it is upon the words of a witch that Saul also believed that she had called forth Samuel from the grave and thus he “perceived” that it was Samuel. When in fact the Bible does not ever state that Saul ever saw Samuel there in the presence of that witch., He merely “perceived” that it was Samuel.

What does the Bible have to say about those with “familiar spirits”?

Lev 20:27 “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.”
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.”

This just shows how far Saul fell from God.
What does the Bible have to say about those that are dead and are buried?

Ps 115:17 “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Revelation 20:5 “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”

Peace and Grace
David

Answer 3

No. What the spirit medium called up was a demon of divination who was pretending to be the dead person Samuel. The Bible states that the dead are unconscious, know nothing at all and their thoughts perish. Since Samuel was dead in his grave and knew nothing, he could not have been brought up to speak to Saul.(Ecclesiastes 9:5,10; Psalms 146:4)

Here is another point: Samuel was a worshiper of God and knew full well his commandment that all spirit mediums were to be put to death and that consulting with them was against God's law.(1 Samuel 28:3,9; Deuteronomy 18:10-12) So Samuel would not have allowed himself to be called up by a spirit medium to speak to Saul because he would then be disobeying God.

Answer 4

This is tough. I will say yes. If the witch normally used a familiar spirit, then she wouldn't have been distressed when she saw the spirit. Most versions said she cried out, another says she screamed. I think if this had been the familiar (deceiving) spirit, then it would have bees "business as usual". I believe God allowed this this time, because the prophecy came true.

Answer 5

Yes.
Because GOD Forbids us doing it, so it is Possible to do so.
The witch of Endore conjured Samuel Up.
Samuel told Saul some things, they happened.

Answer 6

Yes he did. If it had been the usual familiar spirits of this witch,she would not have been frightned. The reason that it was possible then and not now is because the souls of people were kept in hades,or the hadean state,until Christ ressurected and went to the Spirits in prison.

Answer 7

I'm sure he did since he actually talked to him and
he answerd him...

Answer 8

According to the bible he did.