Interpreting the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: It's Really Good News!

the scripture says it was Samuel.
God certainly knows how to say 'a lying spirit' or 'a demon' - these are definitely terms in His vocabulary.
God, the Author of scripture, says this is Samuel. several times.
i believe Him.

you say the scripture is false - by extension you call God a liar.
you are explicitly arguing that God's Word is purposefully misleading the reader and should not be trusted.
your argument is that the Bible is not true, which is, that God does not tell the truth.
which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has followed this thread, since you also call Jesus a teacher of doctrines of demons.
you don't appear by your conversation to believe Him.

case closed on these topics quite a long time ago.

to the other point, there is no reason to think that Samuel was sent by Satan.
God sent him. ask yourself why this passage is in the Book; how is it revealing Christ?
if we can't find Christ in the Bible, we do not properly understand the Bible.
maybe you should look for Him instead of looking for demons everywhere.

if you truly believe that Satan has no power over God's servants i wonder why you make it your life goal to teach God's servants that Satan has power to remove their salvation?

I forgot what I was going to say.

Even a literal text can use figures of speech.

Brother now you are getting silly, but it is funny.

Scripture is still progessive, example Jesus as the Messiah fullfilling the O.t.

The same way I would not know what is happening with individuals in other places unless they are in the News. In short, both are different places. Last I checked htere are no newspapers in heaven on individutals on earth. Yes, part of that is meant to be funny.

Hi all, I am very sick. Don't let me give you all a holy kiss.

Two possibilities:
1) "Samuel" was actually Samuel.
2) "Samuel" was a demon "familiar spirit" impersonating Samuel.

Reasons to believe number "1":

• The apparition is called "Samuel".

Reasons to believe number "2":

• A dead man cannot return anymore to his house, but the demonic spirit appeared to Saul
• A dead man has nothing to do with anything under the sun, but the demonic spirit is in meeting with Saul
• A dead man doesn't know anything but the demonic spirit knows a whole lot about Saul's situation
• A dead man has no emotions but this demonic spirit demonstrates annoyance toward Saul
• A dead man has no wisdom for himself, but the demonic spirit imparts wisdom to Saul
• Saul died "for seeking out one who had a familiar spirit
• Satan has no power to force the righteous to appear before a satanic witch and Saul
• God has forbade his people from having anything to do with the "unfruitful works of darkness"

Now, if you're willing to ignore the mountain of evidence against your position and instead insist that "Samuel" was actually Samuel merely because the Bible refers to what can only be a demonic apparition impersonating Samuel as such, go right ahead. Those who have holy spirit discernment know "the dead know not anything" and will not be decieved by the soon coming army of demonic spirits who go forth to work miracles and deceive millions of "Christians" to joining the enemy via Spiritualism.

Saul would not be returning to his house

Saul did not LOL He died there for turning his back on God.

And since the dead do not return to their house (be that their home or nation) what appeared to Saul and the witch could not possibly have been dead Samuel.

I am ill and very tired

They don't have cable, radios, or telephones. Why would they be aware of current events?

Living men and angels travel from heaven to earth and back all the time. But unless there is evidence that the dead do know what's going on down here, there is no reason to believe it. And the OT verse about the "dead not knowing anything" I believe, does show that they do not know current events on earth. What else would it mean? And I'm not buying soul sleep at all.

Do any of them have biblical support for that? It's just a nice sentiment. Not factual.

Why do you believe that believers in heaven would be burdened by all the evil that is going on down here? In heaven, they are at peace. I take that quite literally.

That's a special case, obviously. No doubt either the Lord, an angel who probably escorted him to earth, or Abraham filled him in. And Samuel's name doesn't have quote marks around it.

I reject that the one who showed up wasn't Samuel. The Bible directly refers to him as Samuel.

I won't address this because I reject the notion that it wasn't actually Samuel who came back.

Read the text. It plainly says it was Samuel. If it was a demon, the Bible would have noted it. How dishonest of the Bible to say that Samuel spoke if it really wasn't him.

The proof text only applied to the grave, not to heaven. Hebrews 12:1

If you believe that this is Not a parable, then you have stripped an awful lot of scripture from reconciliation.

get some rest, brother

When are you going to figure out that your private nihilism leads irrevocably to blasphemy therefore it is wrong? You are horrendously misinterpretating several key passages but you are too full of yourself for me to even bother trying.

You need to get to the point in your life where glorifying God is more important than your own vanity.

Until then you will be nothing but yet another puffed up fool.

Samuel is a picture of Christ, not Satan.

From Isaiah 66:1-2

"Interpreting the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus"

"Interpreting" is a RED FLAG. It's perfectly clear except to those heading to the fire the rich man was in. Hell fire will be FILLED with those who don't believe in the "everlasting fire" that Jesus clearly warned us of! Satan has been busy! He want's our company "forever and ever" as Jesus warned!

"The rich man also died"
"being in torments"
"he cried"
"I am tormented in this flame"
"this place of torment"

Right. And the grave isn't in heaven. So, those in heaven aren't aware of current events on earth.