"Let no one be found among you who … engages in witchcraft. … Anyone who does those things is detestable to the LORD."-Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (New International Version)

The angels who were disobedient before the flood were not permitted to live on earth like men anymore. Nor were they allowed back into their former home in heaven.

Their punishment for being disobedient was to be restricted to the area around the earth. There they could invisibly influence those human beings who would allow themselves to be "used" by them. Those who were so used are called mediums and they work with the angels of Satan to deceive other humans. It is wise to stay away from them. Moses had warned the Israelites to drive all wizards and witches out of the lands they conquered or put them to death.

The Philistines were gathered to battle King Saul's army and the frightened king knew he could not win but hoped he could find help. There had been a time when God had guided him, but now he had sinned against God so he could not expect a blessing from that source. In desperation, Saul turned to the witch at Endor to contact the dead Samuel for advice (1 Samuel 28:3-25).

Because Samuel was dead and could not actually respond to the witch, evil spirits (fallen angels) impersonated him. They gave the witch the information she needed to convince Saul she had really seen and spoken to Samuel.

She told Saul his army would indeed lose the battle the next day and he and his army would be killed. Actually the battle occurred a few days later and while Saul and three of his sons were killed (including David's close friend, Jonathan), two sons escaped and lived many years.

These evil spirits, the fallen angels, are working with Satan to continue the lie Satan told Eve in the garden: "Thou shalt not surely die (Genesis 2:17). The mediums claim they receive information from those who have died, but God's word assures us that the "dead know not anything" (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).

Israelites were forbidden to use witches or other spirit mediums!

Fallen angels gave the witch the information she needed to convince King Saul!

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