Answer # 5

Notice the account. Saul inquired of God about the outcome of the battle against the Philistines. But God gave him no answer, neither by any dream nor by a prophet (I Sam. 28:6).

Saul then went to the witch at Endor - a woman who had contact with familiar spirits or demons! "Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel" (verse 11). Saul wanted to speak to Samuel to find out how the battle the next day would go for him. He was desperate and frightened.

So the woman complied with Saul's request. "And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice.... And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul. I saw a god-like being coming up out of the earth" (verses 12-13, Jewish translation).

The account continues in verse 14, where Saul asked the woman: "What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived [or thought] that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself."

When Saul asked the woman what she saw, she used these words: "a god-like being," "an old man," "he is covered with a mantle." Not one word that it was Samuel! What did the witch see? She saw an apparition and thought it was Samuel.

The Bible reveals that Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). Satan is the god of this world and can transform himself into an angel of light (II Cor. 4:4, 11:14). Satan and his demons have the power to produce visions and to appear in human or animal forms.

The next question in I Samuel 28 arises over verse 15: "And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?" Why does the account read as though Samuel were speaking to Saul?

It is merely a matter of what Saul wanted to see and hear. Demons enjoy fooling people. This demon impersonating Samuel apparently knew the outcome of the battle. He said that Saul would die the following day and his army would be beaten by the Philistines.

We read in Genesis 3:4 that Satan deceived Eve: "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die." But we know this was not a serpent speaking, but Satan the devil himself. Yet the account says, "the serpent said,"

In like manner I Samuel 28 records "Samuel" speaking, although it was actually a demon speaking through what looked like a human. Thus, it was a demon who appeared to the witch of Endor and Saul.

This scripture in no way contradicts the multitude of clear scriptures proving that the soul is not immortal.