http://www.adventistsermons.blogspot.co.uk/ Steve Wohlberg, Speaker/Director, White Horse Media addresses the question, Should We Talk To The Dead?
The Philistine army moved into Shunem, set up its camp, and made ready to attack Israel. His mood far from optimistic, King Saul positioned Israel’s army on nearby Mount Gilboa. In the past, the assurance of God’s presence had enabled Saul to lead Israel against its foes fearlessly. But he had turned from serving the Lord, and when the apostate king had tried to contact God about the outcome of the impending battle, God had refused to communicate with him.
The ominous fear of the unknown morrow weighed heavily upon Saul. If only Samuel were here. But Samuel was dead and could no longer counsel him. Or could he?
Locating a medium who had escaped his earlier witch hunts, the tall king stooped to inquiring through her about the outcome of the next day’s battle. He requested, “‘Bring up Samuel for me.'” During the seance the medium “‘saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.'” This spirit informed the hapless king that not only would Israel lose the war, but he and his sons would be killed (see 1 Samuel 28).
The prediction came true. But was it really Samuel’s spirit that made the prediction? How could a medium, condemned by God, have power over the spirit of Samuel—God’s prophet? And where did Samuel come from—why did his spirit arise “out of the earth”? What had death brought to Samuel? If it wasn’t Samuel’s spirit that spoke to Saul, who was it? Let us see what the Bible teaches on the subject of death, communication with the dead, and the resurrection.
Immortality and Death
Immortality is the state or quality of not being subject to death. The translators of Scripture used the word immortality to translate the Greek terms athanasia, “deathlessness,” and aphtharsia, “incorruptibility.” How does this concept relate to God and human beings?
