Signs in the Heavens: Blood Moons, Eclipses and Conjunction of Planets

During the End Times the Bible states there will be signs and wonders in the Heavens before the Second Coming of Jesus. 

Joel 2:30 says, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke." 

These words are repeated by Luke the Evangelist in the Acts of the Apostles (2:19). 

Since 2014 the world has experienced many signs in the heavens:

• The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014 and 2015 - This event can be considered a visual prophetic guide focusing on the USA and Israel. The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014

• The conjunction of Jupiter and Venus with Regulus on June 29-30, 2015 was touted as being nearly identical to the “Star of Bethlehem” conjunction of the same heavenly bodies on June 17, 2 BC. Is this what the Star of Bethlehem looked like? Venus, Jupiter put on a show

• The total Solar Eclipse of the Sun across America occurred on August 21, 2017. This solar eclipse was visible from a narrow path spanning all across the USA from the West Coast to the East Coast.  The Divine Message Of The August Eclipse

• On September 23, 2017, the heavenly sign of  "The Woman Clothed With The Sun" prophecy spoken of in Revelation, Chapter 12, came to pass. Woman of the Apocalypse

• Longest Total Lunar Eclipse [aka: Blood Moon] of the century rose on July 27, 2018 and lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes. The Blood Moon Prophecy, the Lunar Eclipse on July 27, 2018, and a Picture of the Resurrection-Rapture Event

• The most amazing evidence for an End Times timeline is that the sun, moon, and stars are going to be in positions that act out all the major steps of an ancient Jewish wedding ceremony in December 2019.  End Times And 2019

• An Annular Solar Eclipse on Christmas night to Dec. 26, 2019 during Hannukah week, which was notable, making this the third consecutive year that a solar eclipse appeared during Hannukah. This eclipse was visible mainly in the Middle East, beginning in Mecca. Heavenly Signs and Earthly Tremors – 2020

Once again, in 2020, the End Times conspiracies and theories point to a number of heavenly signs occurring, mostly during the month of December. 

• The triple conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto occurred on January 12, 2020, created a great celestial phenomena in space. It is the first time something of such magnitude has happened in the 21st century. The last rare conjunction of these planets happened over 600 years ago. The Most Important Astronomical Phenomenon of 2020

• One of the most major indicators that we are in an unprecedented time of the fulfillment of biblical prophecy is the three Solar Eclipses that frame the years 2020 and 2021 [that will or have occurred on the fifth day of Hanukkah] on December 26, 2019, December 14, 2020, and on December 4, 2021. Pillar of Enoch Ministry Blog: ARE THE ECLIPSES AND OTHER HEAVENLY SIGNS OF 2020 HERALDING THE END OF THIS CURRENT AGE?

• During major geomagnetic storms, the Northern Lights can be seen in the northern United States, usually around the equinoxes (March/September 2020), yet on December 10, 2020 the Northern Lights became a rare phenomenon due to the time of year they appeared. The Northern Lights May Be Visible Over Parts of the US Tonight

• The 2020 double conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 21, 2020 will be especially rare Scientists are once again referring to this conjunction as the "Christmas Star" and/or the "Star of Bethlehem" as the planets come together, creating the effect of one extremely bright star in the sky. While this particular conjunction last happened 800 years ago, the "Star of Bethlehem" appearing within 5 years of one another is an extremely rare incident. Jupiter and Saturn will form the first visible "double planet" in 800 years on the winter solstice

While many people just mark off these celestial events as scientifically normal, the believers of an End Times scenario continue to watch the skies for such occurrences.

Solar Eclipse & The Saturn Jupiter Great Conjunction

Related articles and videos:

Lyn Melvin: Stunning Heavenly Signs and Patterns for the Rapture

Pillar of Enoch Ministry Blog: ARE THE ECLIPSES AND OTHER HEAVENLY SIGNS OF 2020 HERALDING THE END OF THIS CURRENT AGE?

Before The Second Coming of Christ, 3 Signs Will Take Over The Sky - YouTube

The Nabataeans

The Nabataeans were one of the Bedouin tribes (or nomadic Arabs) that roamed the Arabian Desert in search of pasture and water for their livestock. 

They slowly emerged as a distinct civilization and powerful political entity between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC. Their kingdom was centered around a loosely controlled trading network that brought considerable wealth and influence across the ancient world.

According to biblical tradition, the Nabataeans derived their name from Nābit (Arabic for: Nebaioth, son of Ishmael), as they were descended from Ishmael's son. This nomadic people originated from the Northwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula; their settlements once laid in the borderlands between Syria and Arabia, from the Euphrates River to the Red Sea. Little is known about the Nabataeans before 312 BC, when they were unsuccessfully attacked by [Demetrius I] king of Macedonia in their mountain fortress of Petra south of the Dead Sea. 

Petra Monastery

Petra, the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, became a new and thriving civilization before the conquest of Alexander and most scholars place the Nabataean [gradual] migration from Arabia into the region during the 6th century BC. 

Although Petra was inhabited by the Edomites before the arrival of the Nabataeans, the latter carved grandiose buildings, temples and tombs out of solid sandstone rock. Today, Petra is located in Jordan and considered the most famous tourist attraction for that country.

Building an empire in the arid desert forced the Nabataeans to excel in water conservation. They were highly skilled water engineers, and irrigated their land with an extensive system of dams, canals and reservoirs. They were also exceptionally skilled traders. The Nabataean kingdom facilitated commerce between China, India, Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Their main export was: spices, incense, gold, iron, copper, sugar, medicines, ivory, perfumes and fabrics. Petra may have grown to house 20,000-30,000 people during its heyday.

An artist's impression of the Nabatean army in battle, here 

recognised by their shields. (From the PC game Total War: 

Rome II - Desert Kingdoms by the Creative Assembly)

While there is comparatively little known about the Nabataean society, according to Roman scholar, Strabo, he proclaimed this nomadic empire was governed by a royal family, although a strong spirit of democracy prevailed in the community. Strabo also recorded that the Nabataeans spoke a dialect of Arabic and later adopted Aramaic. Slavery was not existent in Nabataean society; all residents of the city shared the work duties. The Nabataeans worshipped various deities, chief among them were the sun god, Dushara, and the goddess, Allat. 

Not long after Alexander's kingdom was divided, King Antigonus of the Seleucid kingdom attacked Petra in 312 BC and sacked the city with little resistance. However, the quantity of the booty taken was so great that it slowed the Seleucids down. This enabled the Nabataeans to obliterate them in the desert as they headed north back to their empire. Throughout much of the 3rd century BC, the Ptolemies and Seleucids warred over control of Jordan, with the Seleucids emerging victorious in 198 BC. The Nabataean remained essentially untouched and independent throughout this period. The Nabataeans were allies of the [first] Hasmoneans in their struggles against the Seleucid sovereignty. They then became rivals of the Judaean dynasty, and a chief element in the disorders that invited Pompey's intervention in Judea. According to historian Paul Johnson, many Nabataeans were forcefully converted to Judaism by Hasmonean king, Alexander Jannaeus.

Nabataean Zodiac-Tyche (Cincinnati Art Museum)

As the Seleucid kingdom grew weaker in the 2nd century BC, the Nabataean kingdom increased in strength and prosperity; its frontiers extended to the north (Damascus) and east (Duma) and into the south along the eastern coast of the Red Sea. Although the Nabataeans resisted military conquest, the Hellenistic culture of their neighbors influenced them greatly. Hellenistic influences can be seen in Nabataean art and architecture, especially at the time that their empire was expanding northward into Syria, around 150 BC. However, the growing economic and political power of the Nabataeans began to worry the Romans. In 65 BC, the Roman legion arrived in Damascus and ordered the Nabataeans to withdraw their forces. Two years later, Pompey dispatched a force to cripple Petra. The Nabataean King, Aretas III, either defeated the Roman legions or paid a tribute to keep peace with them.

The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC foreshadowed a period of anarchy for the Romans in Jordan; the Parthian kings of Persia and Mesopotamia took advantage of the turbulent situation to attack. The Nabateans made a mistake by siding with the Parthians in their war with the Romans, and after the Parthians’ defeat, Petra had to pay tribute to Rome. When the Nabataean kingdom fell behind in paying this tribute, they were invaded twice by the Roman vassal, King Herod the Great. The second attack, in 31 BC, saw Herod take control of a large swath of Nabataean territory, including the lucrative northern trading routes into Syria.

Nabataean Kingdom. Silver drachma (obverse).
King Aretas IV. 9-16 AD. From a private collection.

Nonetheless, the Nabataeans continued to prosper for a while. King Aretas IV, who ruled from 9 BC - 40 AD, built a chain of settlements along the caravan routes to develop the prosperous incense trade. When the Nabataeans realized the power of Rome, they subsequently allied themselves with the Romans to quell the Jewish uprising of 70 AD. However, it was only a matter of time before Nabataea would fall under direct Roman rule. The last Nabataean monarch, Rabbel II, struck a deal with the Romans that as long as they did not attack during his lifetime, they would be allowed to move in after he died. Upon his death in 106 AD, Nabataea was annexed into the Roman Empire by Emperor Trajan. Not long after, the Nabataean kingdom was renamed Arabia Petrea. The city of Petra was redesigned according to traditional Roman architectural designs, and a period of relative prosperity ensued under the Pax Romana.

Although Petra continued to flourish for many years, its importance waned as the overland trade in South Arabian incense declined and the Roman imperial economy collapsed. The city, like much of southern Palestine, was then devastated by an earthquake in 363 A.D. Petra carried on and even saw the rise of a significant Christian community, but it never again attained its former glory. However, even that was short-lived as the city soon began to fall into decline. Petra eventually sank into obscurity after a shift in trade routes that was caused by the powerful earthquake. Sometime during the 4th century AD, the Nabataeans left their capital at Petra. No one really knows why. It seems the withdrawal was an unhurried and organized process, as very few silver coins or valuable possessions have been unearthed at Petra. After the 4th century AD, Nabataea became yet another lost civilization and its people dispersed to various parts of the Middle East and beyond.

Nabataea remained independent from the 4th century BC until it was annexed in 106 AD by the Roman Empire. However, the Nabataeans remained a small society until the 4th century AD. From its origins as a fortress city, Petra became a wealthy commercial crossroads for many centuries that spanned across Arabian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures.

Related Videos:

The Naked Archaeologist - 203 - A Nabatean by Any Other Name - YouTube

In The Land Of The Nabateans (Jordan) Vacation Travel Video Guide - YouTube

Bible Prophecy Being Fulfilled in 2020

Top Five Prophecies Fulfilled in 2020

(OPINION) PNW – Nov 20, 2020 – There has been a lot of events that have transpired over the past year and here are the top ten events that have taken place to accelerate us closer to the fulfillment of all things foretold.     

1) The Decline of America. There is really no end-time power in the Bible other than a Revived Roman Empire from which the Antichrist will headquarter. Thus, prophecy watchers have always known America must decline. This year we have watched capitalism come under attack and socialism and globalism be heralded. Some progressive but deluded political leaders are even hailing Marxism, including many on the Biden team.

2) The Rise of Lawlessness, Anarchy and Spirit of Antichrist. We see unbridled lawlessness in Matthew 24 and parts of Revelation, although the context of both is the Tribulation. So once again, we see Tribulation events casting a long shadow on the Church Age. Here in America, literally “all hell is breaking loose” and our Republic and rule of law are disintegrating right before our eyes! At the root of this is the spirit of the Antichrist.

3) Peace Efforts in the Middle East. We can debate the practicality of these events and should America and Europe even intrude on Israel with peace efforts? Nonetheless, they are setting the stage for peace deals proposed by the Antichrist. And, the year is not over, so more peace efforts may take place before year-end. But, I am reminded of the haunting words in Jeremiah 6:14: “Saying peace, peace, when there is no peace.”

4) Increasing Attacks on Christians, Christianity, Churches, etc. Thanks to Covid-19, churches, and Christianity in general, became gross inconveniences in 2020. Churches were either shut down or marginalized starting in March. Christians in America were harassed and even arrested for wishing to just practice their faith and meet for worship. Believers in the Mideast and Africa were slaughtered by the thousands. Jesus said a day was coming when we would be hated for His Name’s sake (Matt. 10:22).

5) Growing Apostasy and Wolves Among the Flock. Sound biblical preaching is fading with a rise in the love for experience, emotion, and unsound doctrine. There is even the love of the “doctrine of demons” (I Timothy 4:1). The New Apostolic Reformation continues to surge. A new, but very false teaching in both churches and seminaries, is the Marxist Critical Race Theory. At the same time, Bible prophecy has vanished from most pulpits, as well as support for Israel. 

Article was obtained through End Times Ministries.

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2020 Prophecies Fulfilled — Almost Fulfilled — & Still to Come                                   (June 15, 2020 * Elizabeth Marie)

Fulfilled…. or…. In the Process of Being Fulfilled:

• A testing and purging of the Church (churches that were locked-down/ restricted).
• Judgment on the church as she follows another (Churches going ecumenical).
• It will be a year like no other (whole world on ‘lock-down’).
• Wickedness will abound like never before (we are seeing an increase of wicked lawlessness).
• It will become like ‘hell here on earth’ as we start seeing the ‘gates of hell’ being unleashed (violent crime).
• Times of ‘natural disasters being precipitated by man’ (the virus).
• Time of fire (cities burning).
• Great darkness….. spiritually speaking, this is already here upon the world.

Not Fulfilled Yet:

Year of DECISION:

You will have to make some important decisions this year….. NOT taking the mark, possibly?

Deciding HOW to get ready for what is coming.

Deciding if you need to move to a safer or more isolated area.

Time of WAR (civil war/ war with foreign nation/s or both).

Great DARKNESS coming — Electricity being turned off.

PERSECUTION and CAPTIVITY coming in many forms.

Article was obtained through His Kingdom Prophecy

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20 Prophetic Items to Watch in 2020                                                                                      

In Mark 13:37 and Luke 21:36, Jesus tells His followers to watch world events that will precede His coming. In this sermon, Dr. Thiel goes over 19 items he said in 2018 to watch in 2019 and pointed out events that were related to them. Dr. Thiel goes through the following list of items to watch in 2020:

1. Scoffers and the Modern Media 
2. Morality Prophecies Being Fulfilled Daily (Sodom and Gomorrah) 
3. Internet Censorship 
4. Weather Sorrows and Troubles 
5. Earthquakes 
6. The White Horse of the Apocalypse (Pope Francis, Vatican, Ecumenical Movement) 
7. Strife and the Red Horse of War
8. Trade 
9. The Deal of Daniel 9:27 (Donald Trump, Palestinians) 
10. Knowledge Increasing (5G) 
11. Debt 
12. US Dollar Dominance will Decrease (Instex) 
13. Cash, 666 (Legal Entity Identifier), & Gold (Russia, China, Romania, Poland) 
14. Europe Will Work to Reorganize 
15. Europe Will Have a Great Army (Ursula von der Leyen) 
16. Steps Towards the Formation of the King of the South Will Occur 
17. The Time of the Gentiles will Lead to Armageddon (Belt and Road Initiative) 
18. Jews Ready to Sacrifice
19. Fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 & 28:19-20 (Gospel of the Kingdom and the Short Work) 
20. 2020 Presidential election. 

Dr. Thiel goes over prophetic scriptures (in 2 Timothy, Habakkuk, Amos, Daniel, Matthew, Mark, Romans, Revelation, Isaiah, 2 Corinthians, Psalms), including those that must be fulfilled before the start of the Great Tribulation as well as others that also need to be fulfilled before Jesus returns.

A written article of related interest is also available titled "20 items to prophetically watch in 2020" URL: https://www.cogwriter.com/2020prophec...

Article was obtained through the website, Bible News Prophecy Radio

Slaughtering of the Innocents

In the Old and New Testament of the Christian Bible, there were three different times that innocent children were killed - by the Creator during the institution of the Ten Plagues, by the Pharaoh during the time of Moses' birth and by King Herod around the time of the birth of Jesus. 

By the Creator 

In the Old Testament book of Exodus, there are various signs recorded which were meant to persuade Pharaoh to release the Hebrews (also known as the Israelites) from captivity. These signs came in the form of ten plagues which affected the great Egyptian kingdom.

A plague is defined in scripture using the Hebrew word maggephah (mag-gay-few). The Biblical definition of maggephah is a “stroke of affliction or disease”, sent as chastisement or judgment from God. Other uses for the word maggephah include a ‘fatal blow’ and a ‘slaughter’. Maggephah is used numerous times to describe a plague in the books of Exodus, Numbers, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Zechariah.

The Creator sent nine horrid afflictions upon the Egyptian kingdom during the days of Moses when the king of the land (Pharaoh) hardened his heart and refused to set the Creator's people [the Hebrews] free from bondage. Each time Moses parlayed the message of the Creator to Pharaoh for the freedom of His people, the haughty king of Egypt continued to refuse the request of the Hebrew god and thus a new plague was invoked by the same Israelite god. The last (#10) plague was let loose on the Egyptian kingdom in the form of a slaughter of all firstborn Egyptian sons. 

Some believe this was a horrid incident the Creator performed, while others defend the hideous plague inflicted upon Egypt by pointing out the God of the Hebrews was only enacting retribution for the same horrendous slaughter Pharaoh had applied upon the Hebrew nation when he killed all the Hebrew sons during the era when Moses was born.

By the Pharaoh

Most biblical scholars agree Thutmose I (1525-1508 BC) was the Pharaoh of Egypt during the era of Moses' birth, while other theologians believe it was Seti I. Regardless, this particular king called in the midwives (the women who helped babies being born) and ordered them to kill all the male babies born to the Hebrew women. The Hebrew nation (also known as the Israelites) were slaves in the Egyptian kingdom during this epoch of time. Pharaoh thought that by killing all the male slave babies, he could reduce the strength and the number of Hebrews. He intended to make sure there were never enough young men to fight in an army against the Egyptians. Another reason this king killed the infant sons was the rebellion among the growing Israelite slave population during that time. When the Egyptian king discovered the midwives were not carrying out his orders, the pharaoh met this challenge with an edict to throw the infants into the River Nile whenever they were discovered. His faithful soldiers carried out the order.

Moses survived the edict by first being hidden for three months. Only after he could not be kept secret was a plan devised to save the young child. He would indeed be placed into the Nile, but first a sealed basket was prepared that would float to a place where Hatshebapsut (1504-1583 BC), daughter of Thutmose, regularly bathed with her attendants. Miriam, Moses' sister, stood watch to assure his safety and direct the princess to the services of a nurse -- Moses' own mother, Jochebed.

The pharaoh's daughter indeed felt sorry for the child, and having no children of her own, had elected to adopt him. Through this, it was assumed, the child would grow up Egyptian, and be of no danger to the grand empire. Groomed in the court for a life of ease (Hebrews 11:25), he grew up to be 'son of Pharaoh' after his mother declared herself ruler upon the death of Thutmose (by means of marriage to half-brother Thutmose II). It was under her successor, her step-son Thutmose III, that Moses became aware of the treatment of the slaves. Never having rejected his heritage, Moses defended his kinsmen, killing one of the Egyptian slave drivers. This abruptly ended his career as a nobleman. And, not long afterwards, Moses' was groomed by the Hebrew god himself to help to free the Hebrew slaves from a 400 year bondage. 

By King Herod

In the New Testament book of Matthew, King Herod I was the culprit behind slaughter of the innocent male children under two years old. Unlike Thutmose I who was worried about a future army rising up against his kingdom, Herod was concerned with a new king threatening to take the kingdom from him. 

Also known as Herod the Great, a Roman client king of Judea, referred to his empire as the Herodian kingdom. While the massacre story is only recorded in the Christian's Holy Bible, Herod's atrocities were well recorded by early historians, such as Josephus in the Wars of the Jews, definitely making him a candidate to commit a horrendous murder of innocents.

According to scripture, Herod learned of a future king through the Magi (foreign kings) when they came seeking for a male child that had been born near Bethlehem, claiming he was a future king of the Judaic kingdom. The future king was Jesus of Nazareth, a simple carpenter's son. Yet, Herod never saw the Christ as a 'simple' adversary. Herod had persuaded the timeline of when the child was born from these foreign kings, but never received the exact location of this birth when the Magi - who was instructed to leave by a heavenly messenger - did not return with the information. 

Not long after the Magi disappeared, the king of Judea ordered the slaughter of all innocent male children under the age of two throughout Bethlehem and all nearby vicinities in the Herodian kingdom. The massacre is reported in Matthew 2:16. The Prophet Jeremiah predicted this horrid massacre would happen (Jeremiah  31:15). 

Wikipedia summed up King Herod and the probability of such devious actions occurring: He eliminated any threat to his sovereignty. Most estimates put the number of murdered children at fewer than 20. While a horrible tragedy, the slaughter of a few children in a small, unimportant village seems unlikely to make the pages of many histories compared to Herod's other atrocities. One should also remember that much of our extra-biblical knowledge of Israel at the time comes from Josephus, a Jewish historian and likely a Pharisee. To include this event would require an explanation of why the children died. Given his beliefs and desire to please Rome, little wonder he should avoid references to this massacre.

By the Modern World - Abortion

It has been over 2,000 years since Herod the Great took it upon himself to slaughter innocent male children of the Judaic race to appease his own lustful desires of remaining the greatest king during that epoch of history.  According to the CDC surveillance reports, the dawning of the 21st century [the year 2000] saw over 850,000 babies aborted. This year [2020] so far has reported over 740,000 babies being killed in the United States of America alone!

In 1973, Roe vs Wade was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman's decision to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. This was the beginning of a fourth "slaughter of the innocents" during mankind's 6,000 year history. Today, a baby [from conception to birth] can be murdered up until the ninth month of pregnancy, and in some cases, during birth.  The following data is the current statistics of abortion:

Abortions Performed	Number of Abortions
Worldwide today (11 Nov. 2020)	79,030
In United States today (11 Nov. 2020)	1,704.8
Worldwide this Year (2020)	34,147,350
United States this Year (2020)	744,009.7
By Planned Parenthood since 1970	8,955,969.2
By Planned Parenthood this year (2020)	308,864.6
Worldwide abortions since 1973	1,720,100,000
US since 1973: Roe vs Wade	62,372,596.5
US this Year after 16 weeks gestation (2020)	35,712.4
US this Year due to rape or incest (2020)	7,216.9

The above chart was obtained through Number of Abortions

Just like the Pharaoh, whose army was drowned in the Red Sea in pursuit of the Israelite nation, the wrath of God soon fell upon Herod himself and he died a horrid death. As abortion continues around the world, the wrath of the Creator will surely be inflicted upon the nations once again for taking these precious, innocent lives.

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The plagues recorded in the book of Exodus 7-12 were specifically designed to unsettle the hardened heart of Pharaoh. The plagues of Egypt glorified and exalted the Creator and showed the enslaved Israelites a miraculous sign of mercy and protection (which set forth the symbolism of Passover). 

And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, "About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts." ~ Exodus 11:4-5

While Pharaoh ordered his midwives to kill all male babies born unto the Hebrew slave women, the midwives gloried the Creator by countering the king's command with an acceptable excuse of not being able to fulfill such a task. In the end, Pharaoh ordered his army to enact the slaughter of the innocents.   

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” ~ Exodus 1:15-22      

In the narrative of King Herod's slaughter of children, the foreign kings exalted the Creator by not returning to Herod with information of the Jesus' whereabouts. Yet, with the prior information the Magi provided, the Herodian king was able to pinpoint a time and location of Jesus' birth and set forth a decree to slaughter all Judean males under the age of two. These slaughtered children thus became the first martyrs for Christ. 

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. ~ Matthew 2:16

There is no exaltation of the Creator in the abortion scenario of murdering children. Biblically classified as a wicked deed to perform, there are 35 million+ babies becoming continued martyrs of Christ as each year progressively passes into the next year. Many religious theologians find such an act in our modern world can be classified as an unconscionable and selfish decision-making process.  

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! ~ Isaiah 49:15

The Witch of Endor, the Dead Prophet, the Doomed King

The following story [dated Apr. 19, 2020] was obtained through the website, Marg Mowczko. 

THE DEATH OF THE PROPHET SAMUEL

I reread 1 Samuel 25 this week which is about Abigail. This time when I read it, the opening statement caught my attention: “Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him at his home in Ramah.” What I found interesting was the juxtaposition of this verse announcing Samuel’s death with the following verses that relate Abigail’s story. The prophet who had anointed David as king is dead and, later in the chapter, Abigail confirms that David will be king (1 Sam. 25:30-31). 

Even though I thought the juxtaposition was interesting, I didn’t think too much of it. But then I read on and came to 1 Samuel chapter 28. This chapter is about an unnamed woman at Endor described as a witch or, more precisely, a medium. Interestingly, this story begins with an almost identical statement: “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah” (1 Sam. 28:3). This statement, more obviously than in case of Abigail’s story, sets the scene for what follows.  

THE DESPERATION OF KING SAUL 

Samuel the prophet is no longer around and Saul, the current king of Israel, wants advice about the Philistines who are gathering for war. The usual ways that God communicated—through dreams, through the Urim (sacred lots used by priests), and through prophets—weren’t working. God is silent and Saul is scared. In desperation, Saul says to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” 

According to the Torah, being a medium or a sorcerer was a capital crime (Exod. 22:18; Lev. 20:27; Deut. 18:10-12). And Saul had previously expelled and banned mediums and sorcerers from his realm. Apart from 1 Samuel 28, however, there is no record of this event, and the Bible does not give Saul’s reason for the expulsion and perhaps even the execution of mediums (2 Sam. 28:4, 9). Nevertheless, despite the ban, Saul’s attendants know of one. They tell him there is a medium in Endor. 

So Saul takes off his royal robes, disguises his identity, and, under the cover of darkness, goes to Endor with two other men to visit the woman (cf. Lev. 19:31). The whole story can be read in 1 Samuel 28:3-25. 

THE MAGIC OF THE MEDIUM OF ENDOR 

There are several Bible stories that raise ethical and theological questions. The scene where the woman conjures up an apparition of Samuel raises such questions. Here is a medium performing the dark arts; a necromancer, who seemingly brings up a prophet of God. And Samuel even speaks. [1] Or does he speak through the woman? Is the speech attributed to Samuel coming through her lips? 

From the text, it seems only the medium can see Samuel. Perhaps she is also the only one who can hear Samuel. Or is the whole thing a ruse, a delusion crafted by the woman? Is her shriek at the beginning of the séance, with her exclamation that she knows the true identity of Saul, part of the ruse and given for dramatic effect? (See 1 Sam. 28:12.) 

As the séance gets underway, Saul asks the medium, “What do you see?” To which she replies, “I see a divine being coming up out of the ground” (1 Sam 28:13).[2] Then Saul asks, “What does he look like?” To which she gives a vague description that might describe any old man: “An old man is coming up; he is wrapped in a robe” (1 Sam. 28:14). Saul, desperate for advice, assumes this is Samuel. He is convinced that Samuel is really present. 

The narrator seems to want us to accept the scenario that the woman did, in fact, conjure up Samuel. There is the possibility, however, we are meant to understand that she is putting on a clever act. The more perplexing explanation is that God intervened in this wretched situation and caused Samuel to appear. Whether it was a delusion, or whether Samuel did indeed appear and speak, the words attributed to him are accurate and precise. But they are not what Saul wants to hear. 

THE MEDIUM’S HOSPITALITY 

Saul learns that the Israelite army will be defeated and that he and his sons are going to die the very next day, and he is devastated. He falls to the ground. He hasn’t eaten anything all day and is weak. The woman sees that Saul is in a pitiful state. 

I like how the Common English Bible translates her words to Saul at this point in the story: 

“Listen, your servant has obeyed you. I risked my life and did what you told me to do. Now it’s your turn to listen to me, your servant. Let me give you a bit of food. Eat it, then you’ll have the strength to go on your way.” 1 Samuel 28:21 (CEB) 

But it’s more than “a bit of food.” The woman has a fatted calf that she butchers for Saul’s sake. [3] She feeds Saul well. Susan Pigott observes that “the sacrificial meal serves as a fitting marker of the end of Saul’s reign and further defines the woman’s prophetic role.” [4] After the meal, Saul leaves and the story of the witch of Endor ends. 

ABIGAIL AND THE MEDIUM OF ENDOR 

On the face of it, Abigail in chapter 25 and the medium in chapter 28 are not at all alike. Abigail is a respectably married woman, even if her husband was a fool. The woman of Endor is a despised medium; she has a forbidden, abhorrent profession and is probably living at the margins of society. But the actions of two have similarities. 

~ Both were brave women who risked their lives. There was a real threat they could be killed: Abigail by 400 armed and angry men who had been insulted by her husband, the witch of Endor by Saul (or his men) because she was engaging in an expressively forbidden activity. 

~ Both were sensible women who spoke with diplomacy and tact. They were able to positively persuade and help David and Saul, respectively. 

~ Both were discerning women who delivered prophetic messages. Abigail spoke true prophetic words, and the woman at Endor was the medium, or agent, of true prophetic words. (The medium may have even been speaking her own words based on her own insights.) 

~ Both were generous women who offered food and hospitality. 

Is it simply a coincidence that the stories of Abigail and of the witch of Endor are both prefaced with similar statements about Samuel’s death? Or are we meant to understand that these women picked up the slack left in Samuel’s absence and effectively helped the future king of Israel and the soon-to-be former king of Israel? I don’t know the answers to these questions. What I do know is that the woman of Endor is presented in a surprisingly sympathetic light, considering her evil profession. 

CONCLUSION 

It is remarkable that the medium was the avenue of prophecy when other avenues had failed. And it is remarkable that she offered support and compassion to Saul who had driven out other mediums. The story of the witch of Endor is baffling and troubling, but it is surely designed to paint Saul as a pathetic and tragic figure. He is portrayed as cowardly and weak, and he sinks to new depths by visiting the medium (1 Chron. 10:13-14). The Torah tells us that mediums must be put to death (Exod. 22:18; Lev. 20:27). But in this story, the medium lives and it is Saul who will die.

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FOOTNOTES

[1] The episode of Samuel prophesying after his death is mentioned in the Jewish Apocrypha: “Even after he had fallen asleep, he prophesied and made known to the king his death, and lifted up his voice from the ground in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.” Sirach 46:20 (NRSV)

Josephus retells the 1 Samuel 28 story in his Antiquities of the Jews 6.14.2-4. 

[2] The Hebrew word elohim is variously translated as “god” (CEB) “ghostly figure” (NIV) “divine being” (NRSV), etc, in 1 Samuel 28:13. 

[3] It is also possible that the slaughter of the calf was a ritual act and the meal was a sacrifice to the dead. 

[4] Susan Pigott, “1 Samuel 28-Saul and the Not so Wicked Witch of Endor,” Review and Expositor 95 (1998): 440.