Question i need help with

Gold fish said:

How did samuel in the story of the witch of endor get it right when saul would die?

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Even a stopped clock twice a day.

If the witch of Endor indeed summoned up Samuel, then he still was God's prophet.

The OT assumes that the supernatural is real. Certain things are prohibited, but that doesn't always mean they don't work.

Gold fish said:

How did samuel in the story of the witch of endor get it right when saul would die?

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Easy Answer:
So far as we know, outside of this world, there does not exist matter, space and time in the way we experience it. That is the spiritual domain. God being everywhere present, all powerful and all knowing - He alone has the ability to know all things (past, present and future) being outside the time line. He can provide that knowledge to whomever he wishes.

Extended answer:
While Samuel was alive he was known as one of God's prophets to the people of Israel. God would often give prophets spiritual insight and understanding, wisdom and discernment and other miraculous spiritual gifts ie: prophesy, word of knowledge, etc. so that he could guide the people, correct the leaders who were going astray, rebuke those who stood opposed to God that the people would take warning and their hearts would not wander from God. But once Prophets (or any human beings for that matter) die, all that is known is that they are in the spiritual realm and not accessible to human beings anymore. We cannot contact them and they cannot contact us. They might not even be aware of what goes on in the world anymore because they are no longer a part of this realm.

There is not enough information given in scripture to be sure that this was certainly the real Spirit of Samuel the Prophet or simply a demon faking to be Samuel the Prophet (with God's permission). All we know is - the spirit that manifested to be Samuel was convincing and Saul believed it. However, from the scriptures, we know demons have the ability to masquerade as even "angels of light" under certain circumstances... particularly when human beings make the mistake of invoking them for information. This "invitation" gives them permission in your life (if you choose to invite them) to allow their influence and punishment or deception within God's boundaries for them. They have to abide by God's rules but if we are wise... so will we so we can avoid them altogether.

So how did this "Samuel" know the future?
Apparently, God decided to use this opportunity to make an example of rebellious King Saul by severely punishing him ie: putting him to death. He made this detailed information of his death known to the Spirit "Samuel" in whatever form that Spirit manifested with God's permission. So, whether this medium invoked the real Samuel or a demon pretender... God allowed access to the real information that only he himself knew. "Samuel" in whatever form was merely the messenger of that information.

By the way, once you read the History of Saul, Its no surprise that God was harsh with Saul - being that he was the leader of God's people as King. Kings under God's law are powerful and privileged and have a huge responsibility to lead the people to follow God and obey his laws. They lead first by their own example. So God made an example out of Saul because of his disobedience. Saul had already been warned repeatedly about the consequences of doing things his own way instead of God's. His pride seemed to lead to a narcissistic unrepentant heart and the Spirit of God left him and an evil spirit of jealousy we read tormented him and his last rebellious act of visiting the medium (contrary to God's law) apparently was the deciding blow of punishment when it came to Saul. Consider if God allowed the King to get away with consulting a medium (and invoking the names of Demons for gods), then wouldn't all Israel be led astray to do the same?

1 Samuel 28:19 is not totally accurate. Saul, although being wounded, committed suicide. He would have died elsewhere and his death is not due directly to the Philistines. (1 Chronicles 10:13) And not all of his sons died in the battle. His son Ish-bosheth survived him.

We do not have a soul or does a soul depart from us at dead; and most important, talking with the dead is impossible. We are a “soul.”-Genesis 2:7; Judges 10:16; Psalms 78:15; Proverbs 12:10; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Ezekiel 18:4.

There is, however, the reality that unnatural contact with the spirit realm is possible. Saul did not see the apparition that the spirit medium of Endor summoned. Based on her description, he believed that it was Samuel. Actually, it was a demon. Such communications are not divine and condemned by God.-Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 13:1-3; 18:9-13; Acts 16:16-18; Galatians 5:20.