Steward's Portion

 

CONTACTING THE DEAD:

If the dead cannot rise from Sheol/Hades by the power of their own will, can we pull them up by the power of our will, or possibly by the power of the occult?  The answer again, comes back to the will of God.

Men conspire to do many evil things against the Lord’s will, and yet even in this, God is still in control.  God only allows men to do that which will ultimately bring Him glory when He responds to it in righteousness.  He prohibits the rest of sin, and frustrates all efforts to see it accomplished.

Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.  (Psalm 76:10, KJV)

Why do the nations assemble with commotion [uproar and confusion of voices], and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme? {2} The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ). They say, {3} Let us break Their bands [of restraint] asunder and cast Their cords [of control] from us. {4} He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in supreme contempt He mocks them]. (Psalms 2:1-4, AMP Bible)

Nothing occurs outside of God’s permissive will for sin, because God has a purpose for all things, and will triumph over sin’s atrocities in the end.

“In fact, this has happened here in this very city!  For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. {28} But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.  (Acts 4:27-28, NLT)

 

THE WITCH OF ENDOR:

With that being true, what about the witch of Endor?  Didn’t she call the prophet Samauel back from the dead by the power of the occult?  Doesn’t that prove that it’s possible to contact the dead apart from God’s will?  On the contrary, it proves is that God allowed it for His purposes, not those of the wicked.  Consider God’s role in the event.

The context of the account begins in 1 Samuel 15:1, where God sends Samuel the prophet to king Saul with a command to kill the Amalekites and every living thing in their camps (on account of their participation in the transgenic corruption of the Nephelium).  Saul obeys in part, but keeps Agag, king of the Amalekites, alive, as well as some of the uncorrupted animals (1 Samuel 15:9).

In response, God sends the prophet Samuel to deliver God’s word of judgment against Saul.

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idol-worship. Because you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from being king!  (24) And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned. For I have disobeyed the command of Jehovah, and your word, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.  (25) And now please pardon my sin and turn again with me so that I may worship Jehovah.  (26) And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you, for you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from being king over Israel.  (27) And Samuel turned around to go, and he laid hold on the skirt of his robe, and it tore.  (28) And Samuel said to him, Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.  (1 Samuel 15:23-28, MKJV)

That neighbor would be David, a man after God’s own heart.  And from that day forward, “the spirit of the LORD departed from Saul” (1 Samuel 16:14, KJV).  Samuel died some time later (1 Samuel 25:1), and king Saul was left alone, no longer hearing from God, either directly, or through His prophets.

So when the Philistines gathered themselves against Israel, Saul became consumed with fear.  He didn’t know what to do.  He tried calling upon the Lord for direction, but he was cut off (1 Samuel 28:4-6).  So, in desperation, Saul did the unthinkable.

“Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.  (8) And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.  (9) And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?  (10) And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.  (11) Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.” (1 Samuel 28:7-11, KJV)

 

THE LAWS BINDING THE WITCH:

Saul had been commanded by the Lord to uphold the law of God and cleanse the land of witchcraft and sorcery.  The law said:

“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.” (Leviticus 20:27, KJV)

“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. {11} Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. {12} For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. {13} Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. {14} For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-14, KJV)

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.  (Leviticus 19:31, KJV)

God forbid His people from participating with the wicked in spiritual matters for at least two reasons. The first is that the dead cannot help the living.  Their time is done, and just as their life perishes from upon the earth, so does all that they thought to do and achieve upon the earth.

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. {4} When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his [previous] thoughts, plans, and purposes perish. (Psalm 146:3-4, AMP Bible)

The second reason God’s people are forbidden from participating with occult powers is that demons are always involved.  And with demons come deception and false presentations of reality.  This is the express work of familiar spirits.

In English, we get the word familiar from the Latin word familiaris, which simply means, “household servant.” But when speaking of the occult, the term conveys the idea of a spirit who serves a medium or witch.  A medium is someone who acts as a “go-between” to supposedly contact or communicate with the dead, when in reality they are actually contacting demons who convince their clients that they are “familiar” to them (they impersonate the dead).  Thus, by impersonating a familiar persona, the deceiving spirit invokes trust and believability.

If men can masquerade as something they are not, it should not surprise us that demons have done this from the start.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. {14} And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. {15} It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.  (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, NIV)

 

 

DECEPTION OR JUDGMENT?

But something unexpected took place when the witch of Endor attempted to make contact with the dead.  Normally, the dead are portrayed by the demons in a way that corresponds with how people remember them.  Because if the dead were portrayed as they truly are, people would learn about the reality of hell and paradise which would turn people to the word of God for answers instead of the occult.  But this time, the demons were not allowed to impersonate.  Instead, God Himself brought the real Samuel up from the dead.  And unlike the deceptive appearances portrayed by demons, Samuel rose in the glory of his God.

The witch of Endor had never seen this before.  As Samuel rose up, he had the appearance of what the witch could only describe as a god rising from the earth.  And then she perceived in her spirit a Divine revelation. This godly spirit was rising to meet king Saul, a man who had ordered the execution of all witches and mediums.  So she screamed for her life.

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me?  For you are Saul.” {13} The king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up out of the earth.” (1 Samuel 28:12-13, NASB)

When the witch saw Samuel, she did not recognize him.  Thus she didn’t say, “I see Samuel,” but “I see a god.” So it was not by visual recognition that she suddenly knew Saul’s identity.  God was sending Samuel to confirm Saul’s judgment, and this Divine appointment was perceived by the witch.

So he said to her, “What is his form?”  And she said, “An old man is coming 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 down.  (1 Samuel 28:12-24, NKJV)

When the presence of Samuel arrived, Saul bowed down.  A conversation then ensued between Samuel and Saul.  It is this conversation that reveals the true nature of the risen spirit.  Pay close attention to what Samuel said to Saul.

Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”

{16} Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy? {17} And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. {18} Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. {19} Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.” (1 Samuel 28:12-24, NKJV)

When demons speak, there is always an ulterior motive behind their words, even when they quote scripture.  However, here, Samuel’s words are in perfect harmony with the word of God and what was previously spoken over Saul.  Rather than adding to the word of God, or giving personal advice (which would be the way of demons) Samuel simply confirmed what God had already spoken over Saul.

So in this we see that God allowed the sin of Saul so that He would be glorified in His response to it through the word He had given Samuel.  As far as I’m concerned, this confirms that it was truly Samuel who rose up, and not a demon in disguise.

 

BY WHAT POWER?

And in response to those who are concerned that God would allow the power of the occult to raise a godly man from Sheol, ponder the following questions: By who’s power are men placed in Sheol/Hades in the first place?  And for what reason are the dead assigned their fate?  It is God who determines men’s reward, and it is He who places men in Sheol.  Can the wicked reach down and call up the righteous?  Can they draw up the wicked?  By what power would they do this?  What spirit can overshadow God’s authority and remove the dead from their place at will?  There is none.  Only God holds the keys to the realm of the dead.  Jesus affirmed this saying:

“…Do not fear, I am the First and the Last, (18) and the Living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever, Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:17-18, MKJV)

These keys are held by God.  They have never been given to the damned.  Christ was the first and only man to be given the keys to death, for He is the Messiah over whom death has no power.

Therefore, Samuel could only have been taken from the kingdom of God in Paradise by God’s own hand, not the hand of the damned.  The rising of Samuel was an act of God’s permissive will for sin.  In the end, God was glorified, and His word made sure in its fulfilment.

 

THE GREAT DISCONNECT:

Man’s time to work and plan their fates and influence others ends at the time of their death.  The dead are truly cut off from all that takes place under the sun.  Scripture speaks of this disconnect, but often its meaning is misinterpreted.

The biggest hurdle in interpretation is cultural expression.  The Hebrew culture was fond of focusing upon one aspect of a truth, without including or excluding the rest of the facts.  To the Western mind, this gives the appearance of either error, or as an all encompassing statement about the truth being discussed.  Consequently, if a passage focuses on something that the dead do not know, it can be easy for many modern day interpreters to assume the dead know nothing at all.  Or if a verse focuses on the dead’s inability to speak from beyond the grave, some interpret that silence to mean that they have ceased to exist or are asleep.  Assumptions such as these have led to many unsupported and contradictory beliefs about life after death.

For example, in the book of Ecclesiastes, the author focuses squarely upon the disconnect between the realm of the living and the dead.  His words land on those desires expressed by the rich man to Abraham, wherein he wanted to work toward the redemption of his unsaved family and plan their path to the knowledge that he had come to learn too late.  And so in Ecclesiastes we are warned:

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10, NASB)

The formerly rich man was unable to plan for the salvation of his family from beyond the grave.  His time to effect the realm of the living had come to an end.

In life we have hope for our future.  We work towards it, and plan for it, and we use our knowledge toward accomplishing goals.  However, once dead, our future is sealed.  There is no more working toward, or planning for, or achieving anything by knowledge, that will impact our future or the future of others.  Only those who remain alive have any hope of working toward a better future.

“Anyone who is among the living has hope —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! {5} For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. {6} Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:4-6, NIV)

Those who are counted among the living have hope for change, but the dead do not.  The living have hope because they know that death is coming to remove them from their circumstances and deliver them into their reward, but the dead know nothing of this hope because “they have no further reward” beyond what they have already received in death.  Their future is already sealed.  The dead, for better or for worse, have no continuing part “in anything that happens under the sun.”

The Holy Spirit took this revelation even further when He inspired king Hezekiah to pray concerning his impending death.  When the king became fatally sick and was about to die, the Lord granted him fifteen more years of life.  Even with this extension on his life, death was not far away.  This caused the king to soberly consider his departure from the earth before the Lord.  Listen to the inspired prayer of the king in those days:

“This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: {10} I said, In the noontide and tranquility of my days I must depart; I am to pass through the gates of Sheol (the place of the dead), deprived of the remainder of my years. {11} I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more among the inhabitants of the world.” (Isaiah 38:9-11, AMP Bible)

Hezekiah was not suggesting that he would never see the Lord again.  Nor was he suggesting that he would never behold men again.  His statements are qualified by the phrases, “in the land of the living,” and “among the inhabitants of the world.” As he approached death in his sickness, he realized that his connection to the realm of the living was about to be cut off.  He would no longer be aware of the work of the Lord “in the land of the living.” He would no longer behold men’s activities “among the inhabitants of the world.”

The dead do not watch us from beyond the grave.  Dead parents do not watch over children.  Dead saints do not watch over the church.  And the dead do not roll over in their grave on account of the actions of the living, for they can no longer see them.  The dead only know their reward in death.

Hezekiah continued, saying:

“Behold, it was for my peace that I had intense bitterness; but You have loved back my life from the pit of corruption and nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.  {18}For Sheol (the place of the dead) cannot confess and reach out the hand to You, death cannot praise and rejoice in You; they who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfullness [to Your promises; their probation is at an end, their destiny is sealed].  {19} The living, the living – they shall thank and praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make known to the children Your faithfullness and Your truth.” (Isaiah 38:17-19, AMP Bible)

Hezekiah confessed that his fear and bitterness towards death was on account of his sin, but the Lord addressed his concern and gave him peace, confirming in his spirit that his sins were cast away.  But not all have this hope.  Looking to those in Sheol who abide in torment, Hezekiah notes that the damned in Sheol “cannot confess (their sins) and reach out their hand” to the Lord as one can in the land of the living.  The damned cannot praise God or rejoice in the Lord for they no longer have any hope of receiving the promises of God.  But the living, yes only the living, can make their confession of sin and receive the promises of God resulting in praise to the Lord, not only now, but forevermore.

“Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.” (Psalm 31:17, NASB)

“It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to silence; {18} it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore.  Praise the LORD.” (Psalm 115:17-18, NIV)

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  (Romans 3:19, NIV)

The damned are made silent in that they have nothing more to say to the Lord.  All their boasting and mockery has been silenced and their mouths closed on the matter.  But the righteous, both dead and living, will always praise the Lord and extol Him for the hope they have received according to His promises.

 

MESSAGE TO THE DEAD:

After speaking to men about Abraham, Lazarus, and the rich man, and revealing the state of the dead, Jesus died upon the cross.

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.  (Luke 23:46, KJV)

When Jesus gave up the ghost, which is to say, released His spirit from His body, where did He go?  We know He did not go to Heaven, because when Jesus rose from the dead He turned to Mary and said:

…Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.  (John 20:17, KJV)

So if He was not in Heaven in the presence of His Father when He died, where did He go?

Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? {10} He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.  (Ephesians 4:9-10, NKJV)

Scripture tells us that Jesus first descended into Sheol/Hades, in the lower parts of the earth.  So to which compartment did He descend?  Some will tell you that He went to Paradise in upper Sheol/Hades, others will tell you that He went to Hell, in the lower compartment of Sheol/Hades.  And they will both be right.

 

 

DECENT INTO PARADISE:

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, the criminals who hung beside Him began talking to Him.  The conversation ends with a plea from one of the criminals.  Listen to Jesus’ response.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”  {40} But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? {41} We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  {42} Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” {43} Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”  (Luke 23:39-43, NIV)

Jesus descended into upper Sheol/Hades to Paradise that very day.  The saints in Paradise were not aware of the Messiah’s presence upon the earth, for as king Hezekiah told us, in death, we “shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living,” and we “shall behold man no more among the inhabitants of the world” (Isaiah 38:9-11, AMP Bible).

So when Jesus arrived in Paradise there was great joy that the promised Messiah was come!  There Jesus preached a completed gospel to His saints, in much the same way as He would explain it three days later to men traveling to Emmaus:

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.  (Luke 24:27, NIV)

This was the same exhortation that Jesus had delivered to the saints in Paradise.  This was, after all, the hope of both the living and the dead.

 

DECENT INTO HELL:

The saints were not the only ones Jesus preached to during his stay in Sheol/Hades. He also crossed over the great chasm to the prisons of Hell.  Why?  Because He had a special message for a select group of spirits in chains.

“…He went and preached to the spirits in prison {20} who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.”  (1 Peter 3:18-20, NIV)

In this passage we are told that Jesus singled out a specific group of spirits.  They are specifically said to be spirits who had sinned in the days of Noah.  That’s too much information to assume that Jesus was speaking to the damned in general.  This was a specific group.  But who where they?

Thankfully, the Bible doesn’t leave us to speculate.  Jesus was preaching to the fallen angelic “sons of God” who came down and spiritually impregnated willing women, giving birth to the transgenic corruption of the Nephelium – the giants of Noah’s day (Genesis 6:1-13).  But how do we know this?  And why would Jesus make a special visit to preach to fallen angels.  What was it about the crimes these spirits committed in Noah’s day that elicited a personal visit from the Messiah Himself?  Consider the testimony of scripture that sets the stage for the answer.

Scripture tells us that the fallen “sons of God” saw that the daughters of men were “fair” and took them for wives.  These unlawful unions gave birth to half-breeds who’s stature towered above regular men.  These towering monstrosities became renowned among men for their size and cruelty.

“…the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. … {4}There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” (Genesis 6:2,4 KJV)

Most Bible versions give the impression that the demons were impressed by the beauty of human women, and lusted after them.  Beauty, however, was not what made the women desirable to these fallen angels.  The word fair is translated from the Greek word towb (tobe), and while it can be used to mean “beautiful,” its primary meaning is “good, or favorable.” For example, in the Garden of Eden, Eve “saw that the tree was good [towb] for food…and a tree to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6).  It was in this sense of the word that the demons saw that human women were “good” vessels and “desirable” for the purpose of extending themselves into the bloodlines of Adam.

By extending themselves into the bloodlines of mankind, the pure seed of Adam would eventually die off and be superseded by a transgenic race of half-breeds.  What purpose would that serve?  It would put an end to God’s plan of redemption through representation.  God promised to send the Messiah who would stand in Adam’s place, being flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones.  Thus, the Messiah would have to be born of Adam’s seed, and not of a transgenic seed comprised of man and angel.

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. {15} Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. {16} We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. {17} Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. ” (Hebrews 2:14-17, NLT)

Jesus came to represent Adam before God, and subsequently, all who were partakers of Adam through physical birth.  It was “for this reason He had to be made like his brothers in every way” for the purpose of representing them before God (Hebrews 2:17, NIV).  Thus if the flesh of men were corrupted, God’s promises to men would fail, in that any Messiah born from a physically transgenic parent would no longer be able to represent Adam.  It was for this reason that giants were born as a plague of transgenic flesh upon the earth, in whose blood flowed a spirit not wholly human.

The fallen angelic spirits who did this were charged with a crime that was comparable to that committed by Sodom and Gomorrah, in that the angels went after flesh in a way that was contrary to God’s natural design.  So God imprisoned them in Hell for their crimes in Noah’s day.  In the book of Jude, their crime is spoken of this way:

“And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. {7} In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.”  (Jude 1:6-7, NIV)

These fallen angels are the spirits who sinned in the days of Noah and were “bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great day.” Their crime was unlawful reproduction.  Their target was Christ.  And so, Jesus went and proclaimed a message to them, for they, like the rest of the dead, were unaware of what transpired on earth after they were imprisoned.  What message did Jesus declare?

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”  (Colossians 2:15, NIV).

Just as Abraham could hear the rich man across the chasm, it is no doubt that these disarmed angelic powers and authorities were made a public spectacle as Jesus preached triumph over their wickedness before all of Sheol/Hades.

But Christ’s stay in the compartments of Sheol/Hades was short, and to the audience of the dead He proclaimed what King David had prophesied of Him.

For David says of Him, ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence; For He is at My right hand, so that I will not be shaken.  {26} ‘Therefore My heart was glad and My tongue exulted; Moreover My flesh also will live in hope; {27} because you will not abandon My soul to Hades, Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.  (Acts 2:26-27, NASB)

He looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.  (Acts 2:31, NASB)

 

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