Saturday, December 8, 2018

Samuel and the Witch of Endor Pt 4 (Concluded)


Continued…
Samuel and the Witch of Endor
Or
The Sin of Witchcraft
By J. N. Andrews
VI. From what cause did witchcraft become universal among the ancient heathen? 
That witchcraft was universal with the nations that God drove out before Israel, we learn from Deut. 18. These nations, therefore, in their heathenish darkness, and abominable licentiousness, see Lev. 18:24-30, were grounded in the doctrine of the soul's consciousness in death; for it was upon this doctrine as a basis that witchcraft rested, as manifested in necromancy; i.e., divining by means of the dead; enchantment; i.e., making things which have no existence seem real; and dealing with familiar spirits, which is a pretended communion with the dead.
 
But how came these people by this doctrine? They belong to that class that Paul says "did not like to retain God in their knowledge," and "who changed the truth of God into a lie." Rom. 1:21-28.

Demon worship, i.e., the worship of dead heroes as conducted through witchcraft, was their religion. And the first principle of this religion is the consciousness of the soul in death. Nor is this doctrine the foundation of heathenism only, with its worship of deified dead men; it is equally the foundation of Romanism with its purgatory, prayers for
the dead, worship of the saints, and deification of Mary as queen of Heaven; and of Mohammedanism, with its promise to the bloody men who fight its battles that if killed in battle they shall sup that night in paradise; and of spiritualism, of which the whole stock in trade is the sayings and doings of dead men; and of MODERN ORTHODOXY, which makes death the gate to endless joy, and bestows rewards, and punishments upon the dead without waiting for the resurrection and the Judgment. 

Who gave the heathen this first principle of their religion - a principle, by the way, absolutely indispensable to almost every system of false religion? When Paul says of these ancient heathen that they "changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather [margin] than the Creator," Rom. 1:25, he tells us a startling truth. For, instead of worshiping the living God, they worshiped the supposed immortal souls of dead heroes that they believed had now become gods. Thus we read:- 
Num. 25:1-3: "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel." 

Let us read again, and we shall learn what kind of gods these were whose sacrifices the Israelites ate at Baal-peor. 

Ps. 106:28: "They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead. 

The gods, then, to which these sacrifices were offered, were deified dead men. And they were confirmed in worshiping these dead heroes because they received such wonderful responses, so perfectly characteristic of the men. But they supposed themselves receiving responses from the souls of these dead warriors to whom they thus sacrificed as gods. Paul tells us who really received this worship, and, of course, who returned the responses.

Thus he says:- 
1 Cor. 10:20: "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to DEVILS, and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." 


They worshiped dead men in name, and devils in reality. They had no doubt that these departed warriors and kings still lived; for they had manifest and characteristic responses. But who cannot see where these responses come from, or what being it is that has an interest that men should believe in their own present immortality? 

But who taught the heathen this doctrine that the soul of man did not die, or that men became as gods by dying? If we go back to Satan's first great lie, we shall find this doctrine stated in express terms: "ye shall not surely die' . . . ye shall be as gods." Gen. 3:4, 5.

Here is the fountain-head of heathen philosophy, and of almost every false system of religion. With this idea established in the minds of men, Satan has been able, by means of witchcraft, to control the world to an unlimited extent. He sends his evil angels in the name of their dear departed friends most perfectly, he throws them off their guard, and, instilling into their minds the doctrines of devils, leads them captive at his will. To see what kind of morals attend the practice of witchcraft, read and compare Deut. 18:9-14, with Lev. 18:24-30. 

Witchcraft, or the dealing with familiar spirits, is Satan's system of spiritual gifts; for he holds communion with men through his evil angels as God does through the holy angels. But as they cannot deceive us if they come in their own name, they have chosen effectual disguise, and so come to us in the very form and manner of our dearest departed friends. 
We can understand why Satan has made so great an effort to draw men into the sin of witchcraft; for it gives him control of their minds, and makes their ruin almost certain. And we can see the mercy of God in closing up this pretended avenue to the most wonderful knowledge. The whole thing is a deception and fraud; and God had fenced up the road with his prohibition, that we may understand it to be a dangerous and fatal thing to travel that way. God is equally merciful in what he commands and in what he prohibits. It was Satan, therefore, with his first great falsehood, that originated the principles and established the practice of witchcraft among mankind. 

VII. What are we to expect from this great Satanic manifestation in the closing scenes of this dispensation? 

That modern spiritualism is not slandered when represented as a continuation of ancient witchcraft is shown by two facts: 1. The Old Testament shows that the practice of witchcraft in the days of ancient Israel was precisely the same as the work of modern spiritualism. 2. Spiritualists do not deny, but frankly acknowledge, the identity of modern spirit mediums and ancient dealers with familiar spirits. Before we ask what Satan is to do in the final display of his utmost power, let us consider what he has done already in the revival of this mystery of iniquity. From an obscure beginning in Western New York, some twenty years since, spiritualism has extended itself over the whole earth, and gained a foothold in every district of which we have any knowledge. It is already the religion of many millions of the human family. Its success has been the result of two things. 1. Its wonders; 2. Its doctrines. Its wonders are the wonders of ancient witchcraft in enabling men to converse with the dead. Its doctrines deserve notice. Among the most important are these:- 
That the Bible is full of errors, and not worthy of our confidence. 
That the moral law is of no authority as a standard of moral character. 
That there is no difference between right and wrong; for whatever is, is right, and no such thing as sin exists. 
That there is no need of salvation through Jesus Christ, but every man is his own Christ. 
That there is no resurrection of the dead, no future judgment, and no final account. 
That the God of the Old Testament is the spirit of a dead man. 
That all men compose a part of God; or all men in death become so many separate deities. 
That the souls of men are immortal, and at death enter a higher sphere.

These principles are not always openly avowed in plain terms, but are dealt out as the hearer can bear them. But when men have become established in this system, the spirits do not hesitate to avow the "doctrines of devils" in the plainest terms. It is probable that, like Mormonism, a large share of the success that attends this wonderful Satanic manifestation is due to its teachings and practices in regard to the seventh commandment. The morals of ancient witchcraft may be seen by comparing Deut. 18:9-14; Lev. 18:24-30.

Perhaps modern spiritualism cannot be worse; but it is certainly not one degree purer. There are thousands of people now standing in the outer courts of this infernal diabolism, who are comparatively unaware of what exists in its sanctuary. Would to God that they could be warned before they drink deeper of this strong delusion.
 
The future of this system of ruinous delusion and mighty Satanic wonders is given in the prophetic Scriptures. Of the period immediately preceding the second advent of Jesus Christ, Paul speaks thus:- 

2 Thess. 2:9-12: "Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 

A short space of time in the close of this dispensation bears the dread appellation of the hour of temptation:- 
Rev. 3:10: "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." 

The spirits have an important part to act preparatory to the battle of the great day of God Almighty:- 
Rev. 16:13, 14: "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."

The false prophet, out of whose mouth one of the unclean spirits go forth, is the same as the two-horned beast. Rev. 13:11. This fact gives us a clue to the agency by which the two-horned beast is to perform its astonishing miracles in the coming hour of temptation.
 
Rev. 13:13, 14: "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." 

At a period of time not very far distant in the future, this mighty Satanic delusion will have absolute control of those who have not made Christ their portion, and his truth their shield and buckler. 

VIII. What is furnished us as a safeguard against this deception? 

The prophet points us to this in the words of the text: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Our safeguard from Satanic delusion is the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Those who heed this warning will be able to escape the tempter's power; those who do not heed it shall be carried away by it. This certainly indicates that when the grand struggle shall arrive, men will be found gathered into just two classes: 1. Commandment-keepers; 2. Spiritualists. 

If we treat the law of God as Isaiah bids us, we shall not only acknowledge its authority, but we shall have its holy principles written in our hearts. Then we shall be able to appreciate the vileness of this Satanic doctrine, and ever be on our guard against it. And if we regard the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy, Rev.19:10, we shall understand how great a difference there is between the teachings of the Holy Spirit and the doctrines of devils. 

CONCLUDED.
*******
This study is very pertinent to us today, why? Because of this…
Explosive growth in witches….today.
This study will be given in a few parts, not all at once. Please pray and read, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us in all we do. The closer it gets to our Lord's return, the more and more Satan will work. Please, Father, may we not be deceived, guide us to Your truth, and live in us working Your truth in our lives! All in the Savior's name, through His sacrifice!


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