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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