What Did the Witch of Endor See Rising from the Earth?😳 — Part 3 | Michael Heiser

The passage from 1 Samuel 28:13 is compelling because it vividly and somewhat absurdly illustrates Saul’s desperate situation near the end of his reign, having been forsaken by God and unable to seek guidance from the deceased prophet Samuel. Saul, isolated and rejected, secretly visits the medium (witch) at Endor, despite having previously banned such practices. The woman initially fears for her life upon recognising Saul, but he reassures her. When she summons Samuel, the spirit appears as an old man in a robe, confirming Saul’s doomed fate as Samuel reiterates God’s rejection. The narrative also highlights that in the Hebrew Bible, the term Elohim applies not only to God but also to other divine or spiritual beings, including the dead, without implying equality with Yahweh. This elasticity of Elohim explains passages like Psalm 82, where multiple divine beings exist but are not on par with the sovereign God of Israel. The biblical writers affirm Yahweh’s unique and absolute status as omnipotent creator, opposing any notion of polytheism or henotheism common in other ancient religions. While ordinary Israelites may have had varied and incomplete beliefs, the inspired scriptural authors conveyed and preserved the monotheistic truth under divine guidance within their historical context. #WitchofEndor #god #samuel #biblicalstory #divinebeings #bibleanalysis #oldtestament #spiritualrealm #ancientisrael