Shades of Saul and the Witch
of En-dor!
January 14, 2007
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
It would seem that some of the Israeli politicians could have learned how they would have fared in the Hizbollah Conflict if, like Saul before his last great battle, they had gone to the Witch of En-dor to get a magic prediction from the dead.
In these last days which we now find ourselves, it should not shock us as to the number and popularity of those who claim to be able to converse with the dead. It seems to have infected even the leaders of our society, who would seem to be
of the most use to the unseen principalities and powers of darkness.
I Samuel 28:4-14 – And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. [5] And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
[6] And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim, nor by prophets. [7] Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
[8] And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. [9] And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die
? [10] And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. [11] Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
[12] And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me
? for thou art Saul. [13] And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. [14] And he said unto
her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle.
And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
The following article from the Jerusalem Post by Sheera Claire Frenkel, puts an interesting twist on the confusion that has manifested itself in the ranks of the Israeli politicians, who seem at times not to know what to do next.
Begin Jerusalem Post Artricle
The magic touch: A charm or a curse for Israeli politics?
Sheera Claire Frenkel, THE JERUSALEM POST
January 12, 2007
Should the Prime Minister’s Office include a bureau of astrology? Would Israel have done better in last summer’s war in Lebanon if the defense minister had conferred with Kabbalists?
Nancy Reagan conjured up a storm of controversy during the 1980s when it was revealed that astrologers had visited her in the White House and imparted advice that she might have then used to counsel her husband. But Mrs. Reagan’s sessions were no match for the magical tools that have been used, or should be, by Israel’s politicians, according to some of the participants in a conference held Thursday at the Hebrew University on “Magic, Mystery and Witchcraft.”
Topics addressed by leading university academics included “Jesus the Magician” and “The New Age: The Secret of Harry Potter’s Success.” But the conference’s final session featured participants discussing “Magic and Politics”; the theme was the role magic plays on Israel’s political scene.
Former Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) acknowledged the ways in which his party has routinely used “magical elements” such as prayers and curses during elections, ever since the party’s founding, and others said secular politicians also made magic a part of their day-to-day decision-making process.
Hebrew University Prof. Moshe Idel opened the panel by relating how, several years ago, he was asked to attend a Knesset committee meeting on astrology.
“At first I could not understand why I was there really, but soon I learned that hundreds of political figures, [including] many, many prime ministers all over the world, regularly use astrologers in their decision-making processes,” said Idel. “When the prime minister decided to go to war last summer, what’s to say that among other advisers he consulted there shouldn’t have been someone involved in less traditional methods?”
Rabbi Isaac Batzri, whose father, Rabbi David Batzri, is a world-renowned Kabbalist, couldn’t have agreed more with Idel’s recommendation for the second Lebanon war. In fact, he told the panel that Defense Minister Amir Peretz met with him and his father recently to discuss IDF operations.
“Actually we told him that the dates he chose for the operation had been completely unsuitable for the war, so it was not surprising how we fared,” said Batzri. “If [Peretz] had met with us before the war, we could have told him that in the Jewish faith there are days for everything.”
Batzri’s words upset many in the audience, who saw it as a sign of religious pressure to use traditional Jewish mysticism in making political decisions. Afterward, Batzri was surrounded by half a dozen audience members who wanted him to reveal the defense minister’s reaction to their meeting.
Israel Segal, a long-time Israeli news commentator, pointed to Batzri’s story as an example of “everything that is wrong” with Israel’s current political leadership.
“It pains me to say that magic, or spiritual elements, should be separated from the political world. But why should we take our holiest beliefs and ‘sell’ them? And for what? To get into the Knesset?” asked Segal.
Segal’s comments were primarily directed at Shas, whose spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, has often been criticized for using his religious popularity to attract voters to the party. In the past, the party has also been accused of selling prayers and granting blessing in exchange for votes.
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