Layman’s Corner

Q:My friend tells me that her mother died some years ago and she came back and talked to her. My friend reminded me of the bible passage in 1 Samuel chapter 28 when Saul went to the Witch of Endor and called up Samuel. Can the dead really speak to us?

It would be well for all to read 1 Samuel chapter 28. We read here the account of King Saul, who had rejected God and God’s Spirit had been removed from him. He disguised himself and sought out a witch to contact Samuel, who by then had been dead for a number of years. Saul became desperate because God was no longer speaking to him directly – he attempted to do what God had forbidden – to try to get advice from Samuel about the battle with the Philistines. King Saul knew better than to attempt this as there were laws recorded in the book of Leviticus warning us not to seek out mediums or witches.

The apparition that identified himself as Samuel was none other than one of the fallen angels (perhaps Satan himself) attempting to impersonate Samuel. It could not have been Samuel for a number of reasons. First of all, the devil or someone who identifies themselves as a witch, does not have the power to resurrect or raise someone from the dead. Secondly, Samuel says to King Saul, “you will be with me”. How could this king who grieved away the Spirit of God be sharing the reward of a holy prophet, if they are going to the same place? Thirdly, the message that Samuel gives has absolutely no hope in it. The messages that the Lord usually gives contains warning and hope. That is why God pronounced the death penalty in those times on anyone who attempted to conjured up the dead because it was very deceptive.

Regarding man after he dies, Job 7:10 says, speaking of a dead person: “he will return no more to his house” Psalm 146:3 and Ecclesiastes 9:5 teach that: “The dead know not anything, neither do they have any more remembrance of anything under the sun” There are numerous verses in the Bible – Old Testament and New Testament, that make it noticeably clear that dead people don’t come back to haunt the living.

There are many accounts of people around the world reporting that their loved ones have appeared to them and in many cases spoke to them. You must understand that fallen angels have the ability to personate anyone who has fallen asleep and is resting in their grave. They can look like and talk like your loved one and even know things that only your loved one knew. If this should ever happen to you or anyone you know, the first thing one should do is call on the name of Jesus for help to remove that apparition from their presence and that prayer will be answered. Do not ever attempt to contact the dead through any source or means and do not listen to or engage in conversation with any apparition that may appear to you – no matter how real it may seem. In these cases, you cannot trust your senses. You must know and trust what the scriptures say about the state of the dead, that they are resting is peace until the resurrection at Christ’s second Advent. Read the comfort of Christ’s second coming in 2 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18. We have a lesson called “Are the Dead Really Dead?” I would be happy share an online link to anyone who would like to study further. Just contact me at the email below.

Send your Bible questions to Jeff and Beverly Lawson at laymanscornerqa@gmail.com