While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.  He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?  Look at my hands and my feet.  It is I myself!  Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

• Luke 24:36-39

Since the day of this posting is Halloween, I created a Halloween Quiz.  This says nothing about “Halloween,” but it asks questions about Biblical references to the classic Halloween monsters, in some cases indirectly.  You know, the classic costumes that people would wear.  There will be questions about witches, wolves (sorry, no werewolves), mummies (of sorts), drinking blood (as in vampires), and a monster question – just not about the one Dr. Frankenstein manufactured.  There will even be a bonus question about a princess – sort of.

In other words, I took the characters on the necktie in the photo.  That necktie was my first novelty necktie.  There were many more to follow.  Sadly, neither of my sons wears neckties.

The pictured monsters are the classics.  When you hand out candy in our neighborhood, you will probably see most of the ones pictured along with the modern superheroes and the teenagers that do not have costumes – just hold out their pillowcase and grunt (Last year I had a teenager say “Trick or Treat” and then say “Thank you.”  I nearly died from the shock!!!!) – the scariest of all the monsters during trick or treat and the teenagers with pillowcases.  Of our younger son’s children, they have never been interested in the classic monsters.  Our youngest granddaughter has been a princess.  She loves that role, but this year she wanted to be a dragon, and her brothers are heroes from movie and television fame – that is, if they have trick or treat with all the COVID restrictions.

Of course, the Scripture above is taken from the story of Jesus’ appearance in the upper room with His disciples.  They thought he was a ghost, another classic Halloween costume.  And to think, Charlie Brown could not even get the costume right.  No wonder he kept getting rocks instead of candy.

In our area, they announced that the “Holiday Walk” will be on the traditional day, 31 October, over a two-hour period.  Since it was no longer “Halloween” and “Trick or Treat” has nothing to do with it, we thought we would turn out our lights and not participate in a nondescript “Holiday Walk.”  And save the 50 dollars worth of candy and gift bags.  After all, the “Holiday Walk” is just walking, right!?!  In no way will the local borough officials define what it is, because then people will simply say that the town leaders have given Trick or Treat a new name.

How many times can you be offended in order for others to not be “pretend offended” just to aide in their godless attempt to rid the world of Christianity?  And the absurd thing is that many Christians do not participate in Trick or Treat due to the children dressing up as witches and such – becoming the “demonic” for a night.

The Questions:

	Question
1	In Deuteronomy 18:9-13, the Lord warns against occult practices, forbidding them.  Many of the practices are associated with what classic Halloween character – that is specifically mentioned in the referenced Scripture?
2	What King went to what place to consult a witch so that he could talk to Samuel, after Samuel had died?  I know, two answers, but hopefully it is not that tough.
3	In an epistle of Paul, he speaks of the “acts of the flesh.”  Witchcraft, the only reference to it in the New Testament, is among more than a dozen such ‘acts of the flesh.’  Name at least two of the others.  (Of course, if I had asked, ‘Can you name any of the others?’, you could reply “Yes.” And I would have to accept the answer.  I know some of you were hoping for that question asking mistake.)
4	What animal will live with the lamb in paradise according to Isaiah?
5	When a wolf appears to devour the sheep, which type of shepherd, specifically mentioned by Jesus, will run away?  (Of course, if I had not added the part about Jesus mentioning it, you could say “A bad one.”)
6	Who appeared in Scripture for the first time (this is the first time being mentioned) dressed as a “mummy” with the hands feet and face specifically mentioned?
7	In John’s Gospel, one chapter speaks of two miracles, followed by some very hard teaching, including Jesus talking about drinking blood in four consecutive verses of that chapter.  What were the two miracles that led to the teaching lesson and what happened next?  I know, three answers, the third such question with multiple answers.
8	What book of the Bible has at least three references to not eating meat with blood or specifically no fat and no blood?
9	In the Last Supper, what does the wine represent?
10	There are six mentions of “monster” in the Old Testament.  Five of these references refer to a monster of the sea, or the “deep.”  In one of those references, the monster is named.  What or who is the monster who is a coiling serpent, the monster of the sea?
11	The bonus question:  In the NIV, what is the book of the Bible that has the only mention of “princess?”

Below, there are the Bible references for the questions.

Bible References:

1. Deuteronomy 18:9-13
2. 2 Samuel 28
3. Galatians 5:19-21
4. Isaiah 11:6 and Isaiah 65:25
5. John 10:12
6. Luke 11, specifically Luke 11:44
7. John 6:53-56 – for the four consecutive verses. For the answers, John 6.
8. The book is the answer, but the chapters and verses are: 3:17; 7:26-27; and 7:1-14.
9. Mark 14:12-26
10. Isaiah 27:1
11. The chapter and verse are 45:13.  The verse states “All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.”

The first question talks of not participating in the occult.  That rule seems to have gone by the wayside.  There are countless seers who will read tea leaves, your palm, or gaze into a crystal ball to tell you your future.  There are countless services online where you can get your daily horoscope.

Thinking of horoscope, whether astrology is sinful or not came up in a Bible study, taught by an ordained pastor.  The pastor asked if we believed what we read.  His point was that if we think it a sin, then it is a sin.  If we read “Your day will lead to wonderful things” and we laugh, because the horoscope said nothing specific.  Then what was the harm?  But if we read “Beware” and we stayed inside, afraid to go out, then our horoscope has become a god, and yes, sinful.  My point is if you waste 15 seconds reading it, you lost 15 seconds of Bible study – thus sinful.

But seances were very popular 100 years ago.  Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham, two of the lethal ladies of crime fiction, wrote about seances, Allingham more than Christie.  In reading their books, it is hard to simply skim over that stuff, when the key clues to the mystery revolve around it.  Sadly, Ouija boards are still being made, and probably are being used.  As the Apostle Paul concludes in Romans 14:23, anything that is not faith is sin.  To add to that, anything that gives us a spiritual answer outside of the Bible and God is something we need to avoid.

But having the children dress up once each year and get candy…  If you avoid the tummy ache afterward, it is mostly a harmless diversion.  I never went Trick or Treating because we lived in the country when I was young, and my parents would not let me visit my grandmother in town that night.  I never got the “sin” lecture.

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The Answers:

1. A Witch – practices including anyone who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
2. King Saul went to En Dor (or Endor).  Let’s compare what he did to Deuteronomy 18:9-13.  He consulted a witch or medium depending on translation.  She performed, at his request, divination, so that Saul could consult with Samuel, who was dead.  No wonder she was leery in performing the divination since the Deuteronomy Scripture would be violated multiple times.
3. Any two of: “Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”  I would accept “and the like,” but come on!!
4. Wolf.  I know that everyone talks about the lion laying down with the lamb, but Isaiah 11:6-7 states “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.  The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.”  Lions and lambs are both mentioned, just not together.  And I apologize for not finding a “werewolf” mentioned in the Bible, or maybe I should praise God that there are no references to werewolves in the Bible.
5. Hired Hand.  The Good Shepherd (Jesus) knows His flock and tends them, protecting them from wolves.
6. Lazarus.  If you do a search of the NIV, you will find previous references to “Lazarus”, but in the form of the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus – thus, not the man, the friend of Jesus, Lazarus, who first appears from his tomb still wrapped in burial clothes.
7. John 6 begins with the feeding of the 5,000, followed by Jesus walking on water.  And following the teaching that includes four references to drinking blood and a few regarding eating flesh, many disciples left, thinking that the teaching was just too hard.  But Simon Peter basically said, “Where else could we go?”  Indeed, regardless of how difficult some of Jesus’ teachings are to understand, there is nowhere else where you can find truth.
8. Leviticus
9. Christ’s blood, poured out for many.
10. Leviathan.  There are six references to the Leviathan, three in Job, two in Psalms.  The only reference of Leviathan as a “monster” is in Isaiah.
11. Psalms

Since you did so well, treat yourself to something that I alluded to in the beginning, the Trick or Treat scene from The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

And beware of witches – or pretend witches – or whatever this was in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

And if you enjoy music, appreciate music, and are frightened when music is done… Let us say, “off.” Here are the Muppets doing Bohemian Rhapsody.

Of course, if you did not do well on this quiz, this 1929 Mickie Mouse short may show how dangerous it is to not be prepared for haunted houses.  This video features skeletons, a question that I could have included from Ezekiel 37:1-14 when the bones in the Valley of Dry Bones came to life.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.