Can the spirit of the dead people come back in vision or dreams? We see a medium talking to the spirit of Samuel in 1 Sam. 28.

Please read 1 Sam. 28:1-20; Deut. 18:9 -14; 1 Chr. 10:13, 14; Isa. 8:19-22; Lev. 19:31 and Heb. 1:1-3 before reading further.

God speaks to His people through the Scriptures; He guides them through the Holy Spirit. In addition to them He has given us spiritual people like pastors Christian leaders and Christian literature to teach us the right way.

God spoke to His people through the prophets and through visions and dreams in the days of the Kings in the Old Testament. King Saul for example was led by Prophet Samuel many times and was warned by him too. When King Saul was backslidden God was grieved over Saul and He wanted to hand over the kingdom to David (1 Sam.15). This too was communicated to Saul through Prophet Samuel. Hearing this Saul did neither repent nor sought the face of the Lord. Samuel ceased to speak to Saul till the end of his life (15:35). The only way in which Saul could talk to God also is closed! When Saul tried to call God, He did not respond to him.

Watch every step! Now after having gone too far from God, Saul tries to communicate to God through someone. Now he turns to a medium; he disguised himself and met a woman to seek God’s favour by raising the prophet Samuel from the dead with the help of her witch power. It was Saul who chased all the soothsayers, diviners and mediums out of the nation. Since he knew that these practices are unscriptural and abomination to the Lord (Deut.18: 9-14; Lev.19:31). As desired the woman could bring the spirit of Samuel (so called) with the power of the evil spirit she had. The Bible records this event very vividly to look as if Samuel himself came and spoke. But in reality, it was the evil spirit in that woman which could discern the mind of Saul and could speak to him what he desired. The so called spirit of Samuel said nothing new; it was the same words which Prophet Samuel spoke to Saul when alive (Cf. 1 Sam. 15: 28 with 28: 17). Samuel had sufficiently warned Saul with those words several times and he had been perturbed in his heart. This event is just the projection of his mind; the evil spirit which now Saul has depended also echoes the same! What a deception! It was not Samuel who came back to talk to Saul. Can the Scriptures that prohibit talking to the dead (Necromancy) in Dt. 18:11 allow talking to the spirit of Samuel in this passage? NEVER will the True Word of God do this.

English dictionaries necromancy as ‘the practice of supposedly communicating with the spirits of the dead in order to predict the future.’ The backslidden, deceptive Christians and those who would earn their living out of using God’s name normally use shortcuts to talk to God. They cannot listen to God; but in their yearning to speak to God, they device methods like necromancy, which are unscriptural. See how the backslidden Saul uses this practice with the help of a medium. This is a crime leading to death penalty as per the OT law (Lev.20:27; 1 Chr. 10: 13, 14).

Dear friends, do not believe in those who claim that they have seen the dead; or the spirit of the dead ones are loitering around. They are fraudulent! The Word of God is crystal clear in saying, ‘. . . it is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment’ (Heb. 9:27). St. Paul also says this emphatically in 1 Cor. 15: 17-19 and 1 Thes.4: 13 -18. The dead ones cannot come again to this earth in any form. It is not possible to get new revelation which is contrary to the Scriptures, through them, as some would claim. It may be possible to dream about the beloved ones who are no more.

Let us spend time enough to read, study, meditate and memorize the Scriptures which are the only reliable guide. If you do so, you will be led by the Holy Spirit without doubt. But if you approach any other shortcuts, you will end up listening to the evil one! Take care, because they are his instruments!

As God’s people we need to be careful not to look for unscriptural means of talking to God or getting His guidance from the spirits. Any such revelation from unusual means like visions, dreams or any medium needs to be checked with the revealed truth of the Scriptures.

T. Athma Soruban