Question Corner by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA · Feb 14, 1906

Question Corner

By Editor

1771.—Samuel and the Witch of Endor.

Please explain the following: "And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known to me what I shall do. And Samuel said, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing Jehovah is departed from thee, and is become thine adversary?" 1 Sam. 28:14-16. Was it the witch herself that appeared?

1. It was the familiar spirit that appeared, covered with the mantle. Satan has ever been the deceiver, ever aiming to appear as an angel of light. Note that Saul did not see this apparition, it was only the woman herself who saw it, and Saul supposed it to be Samuel from her description. Of course her familiar spirit knew how Samuel looked before he died, and it assumed that form. She described Samuel, and Saul supposed that the record was true, and the record goes on on that supposition.

2. The evil spirit, in order to carry out the rôle he had assumed, asked Saul why he had disquieted him to "call me up." The erroneous idea in ancient times was that the spirits were under ground somewhere and had to be brought up; now it is taught that they are above, and the familiar spirits would be asking, "Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me down?" That this was not Samuel that was brought up is evident from these reasons: (1) Samuel was buried at Ramah, but this meeting took place at Endor. (2) God had refused to answer Saul by Urim and Thummim or by prophets, and it is unreasonable even to suppose that the Lord would use one who had a familiar spirit, whom He had consigned to death, to reply to the king, when He would not do it through His own appointed means. (3) One of the very reasons why Saul was slain was because he sought after familiar spirits and inquired thereby. 1 Chron. 10:13. See the tract "The Witch of Endor" for further consideration.

1772.—Seven Weeks of Dan. 9:25.

Will you please explain by the Bible how we find out or prove that the seven weeks of Dan. 9:25 was 49 years and say that it took that long to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.

One of the very best translations of Dan. 9:25 is by Houbigant, and reads as follows: "Know therefore, and understand from the edict which shall be promulgated to restore and build Jerusalem there shall be seven weeks; then it shall be rebuilt with anxiety in difficult times. Thence to the Prince Messiah there shall be sixty-two weeks." This makes it very

clear, and apart from this it has been the general understanding of commentators that the seven weeks refers to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The fulfilment of this is told in Prideaux's "Connexion of the Old and New Testament." See also "The Sanctuary and the Twenty-three Hundred Days," by Uriah Smith. We have not space to explain it here.

1773.—Who has the Spirit?

Has not every believer the Holy Spirit within his heart in some degree, even tho he may not be filled, or baptized, with the Spirit?

Yes, every true believer has. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Rom. 8:9. Whosoever is born of the Spirit has the Spirit of Christ. John 3:3-5. And by that Spirit some gift is bestowed, which the soul that receives may use to God's glory. We shall have some articles on this subject before long.

1774.—When Fulfilled? Eze. 11:16, 17, 19, 20; Rev. 21:3, 4.

When does Eze. 11:16, 17, 19, 20 have its fulfilment, and is it at the same time as Rev. 21:3, 4?

No, it begins in this life, in this age. Whenever men turn to the Lord with all their heart, they receive the new heart, and the new spirit is given to them that walk in God's statutes and keep His ordinances. When that work is complete in the last generation, then God will take His children home. Rev. 21:3, 4 refers to the new earth.

1775.—An Ever-Present Truth. Eze. 18:31, 32.

In what time or period in this world's history would Eze. 18:31, 32 have its application?

It would apply at any time when there were men that needed forgiveness and regeneration. It was true then; it is true now. God has ever been calling to the sinner, "Cast away from you your transgression wherein ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord Jehovah; wherefore turn yourselves and live."