Disappearing
angels
1)
1 Sam. 28 is
a chapter that has generated a lot
discussion among people.
2)
It
certainly is a very interesting story, in spite of some disagreements about how
to understand it.
3)
The prophet
Samuel had died (verse 3) and Israel had grieved for him.
4)
The Philistines
had gathered together to fight against Israel (1 Sam.
28:4).
5)
King Saul saw
the opposing military force and he was afraid.
6)
Saul
wanted some information from God about this matter, but God would not answer
(verse 6).
7)
Saul then
decided to seek supernatural guidance from the dead.
8)
He dispatched
one of his servants to find a female sorcerer at Endor.
9)
We will start
reading with verse 8 – READ
10)
Saul had
previously given an order that this type of thing had to be stopped—it was
wrong.
11)
This woman was
well aware of this rule and she objected to Saul’s
request.
12)
Saul assured her
that it would be okay – verse 10 –READ
13)
With this
assurance the lady asked who she should conjure up from the
dead.
14)
At the end of
verse 11 we find Saul saying he wanted to talk to Samuel.
15)
Saul wanted
Samuel to tell him what to do since God was not answering
him.
16)
This woman
apparently proceed and then saw someone or something.
17)
Some think the
woman actually saw Samuel and others think she did not.
18)
Some good Bible
students believe she saw something like a false spirit.
19)
Whatever she
saw, we do know how she reacted:
verse 12 – READ
20)
In this account
we find a small but very important fact.
21)
When men and
women have had contact with a supernatural being, there was
fear.
a)Contact with
things that are not of this earth has frightened people.
b)
We
have a world full of people saying and many more thinking, “I would like to see
an angel.”
c)There multiple
claims about spirits and angels talking to people.
d)
These
claims make it sound like talking to an angel is just like chatting with one’s
best friend.
22)
This is not the
picture we get in the Bible in 1 Sam. 28 or many other
places.
23)
Here we find a
woman who had claimed association with conjuring up the
dead.
24)
Whether
her previous claims and work were true or not, she really saw something on this
occasion.
25)
What she saw
terrified her.
26)
Someone might
say this lady was terrified because she was involved with
sorcery.
27)
If she had been
a good woman (a righteous lady), she would not have been
scared.
a)That is an
interesting suggestion; let’s test this idea and see if it is
true.
b)
The book of
Isaiah was written by Isaiah, a prophet of God.
c)Isaiah is spoken
of in a good way throughout the Bible
d)
More
than 50 times his name appears in the sacred text and he is presented as a man
who was faithful.
e)Not
only did Isaiah author a major Bible book, he was also brought into the presence
of some angels.
f)
In Isa. 6 we are
told that he had a vision.
g)
He had an
opportunity to see seraphim (a type of angel).
h)
Listen to Isa.
6:5 – READ
28)
This man was
overcome. It is certainly true that
he saw the glory of God.
29)
Seeing the
seraphim was enough to disturb him, verses 3-4.
30)
The angels and
the place where it they were frightened this good man.
31) This
is in direct conflict to those today who claim that they have friendly contact
with heavenly beings or chit chat with the Holy Spirit.
32)
These claims are
either outright fraud (people are lying) or they are
self-deceived.
33)
Next on our list
is an experience that Daniel had, Dan. 10.
34)
Daniel also saw
a heavenly creature, presumably an angel.
35)
What he saw
looked like a “man clothed in linen” (Dan. 10:5).
36)
The face was
like lightning (verse 6), and the eyes like flaming
torches.
37)
Here is how
Daniel responded to what he saw – verse 8 –READ
38)
Was Daniel
frightened because he was a evil man?
39)
Verse 11 –
READ
40)
Each of these
references leaves us with the same point.
41)
Coming into
contact with an angel was not a fun experience; it was
terrifying.
42)
Great men of God
encountered angels and they were trembled with fear.
43)
To all these
things it might be said, “these are all Old Testament
stories.”
44)
“Under the New
Testament things must have worked differently.”
a)Is this true, or
is it just a wild guess?
b)
Let’s look at
the Bible and find an answer.
c)In Luke 1:11-13
we have some information about Zacharias.
d)
This man was to
go into the temple and burn incense (verse 9).
e)While he was
doing what he was supposed to an angel of the Lord
appeared.
f)
If someone or
something immediately appears, we can be frightened for a
moment.
g)
Zacharias was
frightened for more than a moment – verse 12-13 – READ
h)
There is a
difference in being startled and frightened; this man was
frightened.
i)
He
was a very good man of God, but being in the presence of a supernatural creature terrified
him.
45)
An angel
appeared to Mary (Lk. 1:30).
46)
Luke says the
angel had to tell her, “Fear not.”
a)Luke did
something very interesting in verses 13 and 30.
b)
He constructed
his point with a special grammatical tool.
c)This tool tell
us that an action is occurring, and that action needs to be
stopped.
d)
In the case of
verse 13, Zacharias was “fearing” and he needed to stop
that.
e)Mary was also in
a state fear and the angel was saying, “enough of that.”
47)
Fear,
dread, terror, anxiety, concern, worry, and alarm are associated with angels
visiting people.
48)
After Luke 1, we
have Luke 2.
a)Luke tells us
about some shepherds who were out in a field.
b)
One would think
that shepherds would be pretty brave men.
c)They would be
accustomed to life in the outside world.
d)
At times they
would need to fight off animals to protect their sheep.
49)
Angels appeared
and these men were scared – Lk. 2:9-10 – READ
50)
Verse 10 has the
same grammatical tool found in Lk. 1:13 and Lk. 1:30.
51)
The shepherds
were “fearing” (present tense), and they were told to
stop.
52)
This is just one
more example of how people were scared when meeting a heavenly
creature.
53)
At this point we
ought to begin to start wondering about something.
54)
Is there not a
passage that says an angel appeared and the person was eager to see
it?
55)
Let’s look at
the end of the Lord’s life, Mt. 28.
a)Jesus’
tomb had been securely sealed, but the grave could not keep Jesus from being
raised.
b)
The Lord arose
early on the first day of the week.
c)Two ladies with
the name “Mary” came to where Jesus was (Mt. 28:1).
d)
An
angel had arrived on the scene and rolled away the stone and was sitting on it
(verse 2).
56)
There were Roman
guards around that tomb, and they saw this angel.
57)
These men were
very likely pagans; hard core soldiers who thought they could handle
anything.
58)
How did they
respond to this angel? Verse 4 –
READ
59)
Military men
have not responded any better to angels than saved people
have.
60)
The ladies
arrived and the angel had a message for them – verse 5 – READ
61)
Once again we
have good people being told not to “fear.”
62)
When we listen
to people today talk about angels here are the kinds of things they
claim:
a)“I was left with
such a sense of peace.”
b)
“The angel
really blessed me.”
c)We do not hear
people claims they were scared silly when an angel came to see
them.
63)
Modern claims
are the exact opposite of what we find in the Bible.
64)
Thus, if we
accept the claims people make, we reject the testimony of the
scriptures.
65)
If we accept the
information in the Bible, we must reject the claims people
make.
66)
The point being
made goes even deeper than angels.
a)There are
religious teachers who talk about “doing battle with
Satan.”
b)
They
almost seem to suggest that they meet the devil face to face and shake their
finger at him.”
c)If we could come
face to face with the devil, I believe he would scare every single one of
us.
67)
I draw this
conclusion based on Acts 19.
a)Today we have
people who claim to have the power to exorcise evil
spirits.
b)
Some claim they
can cast out the evil spirits that possess people.
c)This is not new;
Jews 2,000 years ago were making these same types of
claims.
d)
Apparently some
of the first century exorcists thought they had found a new
trick.
e)They began to
rebuke evil spirits “by the name of Jesus.”
f)
They knew of
Paul using the name of Jesus so they “borrowed from him.”
g)
Seven sons of a
chief priest decided to try out Jesus’ name (verse 14).
68)
These men chose
to attack the wrong evil spirit.
69)
The spirit
answered them – verse 15 – READ
70)
Imagine being
challenged by an evil spirit.
71)
It would be
frightening if we were a Christian, but imagine if we were not a child of
God?
72)
These men were
not only challenged, they were attacked – verse 16 – READ
73)
There are two
very clear lessons from tonight’s material.
74)
If we were in
heaven and in the presence of God, we would be in a spiritual
realm.
75)
We would be in a
realm where angel creatures would not seem out of the
ordinary.
76)
Since we are
presently “of the earth,” supernatural creatures are like aliens to
us.
77)
We are not
presently on the same plane as they are.
78)
They are above
us and they will continue in that realm.
79)
For that reason
every indication is that they would frighten us if we could see
them.
80)
We are presently
below angels and we need to be satisfied with where God has placed
us.
81)
Seeing an angel
would not be as fun as people think or claim.
82)
A second point
is that God has little patience with sorcery and wizardry.
83)
Trying to tap
into the underworld or contact the dead is a pagan and Satanic
practice.
84)
A lot of people
have an interest in what has been called the dark side; the
under-world.
85)
People want to
communicate with the dead, call up spirits, or make a deal with the
devil.
86)
This
is a side of life to leave alone; witchcraft and sorcery have no association
with the gospel.
87)
God calls His
people to a life described in the New Testament.
88)
We hope you have
heard that call through the gospel and responded.