A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


May 23, 2016

We Need To Understand The Spiritual Realm!

      I guess various reactions are to be expected when we Christians become bold enough to speak publicly about "Spiritual Warfare" and "Spiritual Realms" and doing battle with "Spiritual Beings".  There will be those who do not share my faith, and are either agnostic or atheistic, and see these subjects as contrary to their scientific mindset, and those who believe in rationalism, a theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief.
     But we should also expect that our fellow Christians may have differences of opinion with us; especially over terminology and just how far we are to go in waging our battle.  We must remember that, as 21st Century Christians, the theology of spiritual warfare is largely unrecognized and we are essentially, still trying to come to terms with what it all means.  
     I happen to believe that the Christian "Church", or Body of Christ if you prefer, is largely uncomfortable with the idea that we live in a supernatural world, and that the Bible is a supernatural Book.  Oh, you will hear Christians agreeing that the Bible is a supernatural book, but then they are so clearly skeptical when you try to point out the supernatural implications of Scripture.  I'm not sure what it is ... if certain charismatic denominations, and individuals, have given a bad name to the spiritual and supernatural side of our faith; or if we have just closed our minds to the possibilities of the supernatural in our faith, so that we keep it at arm's length, and only refer to it in whispers.
     Because of these two distortions, Christians suffer from a fundamental problem:  they don't see the unseen world from the same point of view as the ancient Biblical writers.  One group assigns the spiritual and supernatural to the periphery of theological discussions; while the other group is so obsessed with experiencing the supernatural, that they are indifferent to whether their theology is Scriptural or not.
     That's why I think it is important for us to examine and recover a Biblical context when discussing spiritual warfare, and we must not dismiss, ignore, or wrongly interpret what the Bible is telling us.  I find it interesting that most people, whether devout in their faith or not, will agree that God exists.  Yet how do they see Him?  If forced to define Him, I suppose most would agree that He is not flesh and blood like us, but is a Spirit.  So they can conceive of God, the Creator of the Universe, as a Spirit, but these same people can't agree that there are evil spirits, or that Satan is real.
     I think that it all comes down to a fundamental lack of knowledge about what occurred in the Garden of Eden.  Let's start at the beginning:  The Bible reveals to us that God and the Word (Jesus) have existed eternally.  That's what John 1:1-2 plainly says.  As Genesis tells us, They created everything .... the earth and all things on it; the first and second heavens (our sky, and the heavenly realm beyond our atmosphere); and all the plant and animal life.  God also created angels to help Him create, govern and manage His creation. Angels are ministers, agents and helpers in God’s creation. They are servants of God, playing a critical role in fulfilling His eternal purpose.
     Lucifer was created to hold a special office:  one of just two cherubs covering and protecting God's throne.  Ezekiel, Chapter 28 gives us a good vision of how God saw this angel He created, whom He refers to as the prince of Tyre.  He describes Lucifer as having "the full measure of perfection and the finishing touch [of completeness]; Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty."  God created and educated Lucifer for his assignment on Earth’s throne, which was placed in the Garden of Eden—before human beings were even created! Lucifer received this special training from the “holy mountain of God,” God’s throne!  Yes, God had great plans for Lucifer to manage His creation of Earth for Him.... that is until we get to Ezekiel 28, verse 15:  "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness and evil were found in you."
     We all know the rest of the story.  Lucifer, in his pride and arrogance, sought to usurp God's throne, and when God (and Jesus) created man to have dominion over the earth and manage their creation, Lucifer became known as Satan and plotted to steal back what he believes is rightfully his.  Through Satan's tempting scheme, mankind experienced The Fall, and we have been in battle ever since with Satan and the angels that chose to follow him.
     But here is what we need to know!  When God created the earth and "the heavens",  He created a spiritual world that exists in parallel to the physical world. God created a multi-dimensional universe.  We can only see the three dimensions of our existence ... height, width, and depth ... along with the dimension of time.  The website called, The Kingdom Watcher, really explains the bigger picture well.  "The physical realms consist of the earth, the sea and the sky. It includes people and the things they have made.  The Bible refers to the "heavenlies" as a label for the spiritual realms that exist alongside the physical world. The spiritual realms are just as real as the physical world that we can see. These two realms overlap and interact with each other.  We live in a multi-dimensional universe in which the spiritual dimensions exist in parallel to our three-dimensional physical world. The spiritual realms operate in continuity with the physical/natural world that we observe. Most humans cannot see into the spiritual dimensions, so we can only observe the physical side of existence. However, events in our physical world are shaped by activities in the spiritual realm. When we look at the physical world in isolation, we miss much of what is happening in the universe."
     Here's what we need to understand ... God operates in the spiritual dimensions of our reality, but He also created and sustains the physical world.  The sad fact is that the ancient Biblical writers understood this concept, and up until about 300 years ago, so did modern man.  But then a European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries, called the Enlightenment, emphasized reason and individualism over accepted traditional thought. Combine that with modern education, and we all but wiped out our awareness of the spiritual world.
     But there's another important concept to understand when it comes to recognizing the overlapping of the spiritual and physical worlds.  It is the concept of AUTHORITY.  God had authority over all the angels in heaven.  At some point, when Lucifer rebelled, one-third of the angels decided to follow him and he was allowed to set up an alternative kingdom, under some semblance of his authority.  (Remember:  nothing happens without God allowing it, even though we may not understand His Sovereign choices).  God created the earth and placed humans in it. He gave authority over the earth to the people He created, but kept authority in heaven for Himself.  Satan wrestled authority from Adam and Eve by persuading them to believe a lie. This gave his spiritual forces of wickedness a place in heaven and authority over the earth, but it was stolen authority. The devil also devised a place in the spiritual realms by acting as accuser /prosecutor of God's people before the presence of God.  (We see that played out in the Book of Job).  And now, all this is being played out in our lives, and upon the earth and the heavenly realms.
     This is what it looks like:  Sin and The Fall destroyed the unity that had existed in the spiritual realms. God still dominates the spiritual realms, and two-thirds of the angels remain loyal to Him. However, Satan drew together the angels that had rebelled with him and squeezed them into an alternative power structure within the spiritual world.  This division in the spiritual realm results in struggles here on earth between the Kingdom of God and the forces of wickedness.  That is why Paul tells us "we do not struggle/wrestle with flesh and blood" -- there is an overlapping and interaction between our physical world and the spiritual realm.
     I realize that this leads to all kinds of questions ... questions that we will consider in the coming days and months.  A question that naturally occurs at this point is, God is Sovereign.  Why doesn't He just stop Satan (or people) from carrying out their wicked plots and schemes?  That is a tough question, and I do not claim to know the mind or counsel of God.  But perhaps He plays by His own rules and His immutability (His unchanging Character).  When He gave authority over the earth to man, it is not in His character to take it back, even when man so carelessly gave it away.  Or perhaps, once man handed over his authority to Satan, God planned a way for us to get it back, but it would involve making a choice on our part to believe in His Co-Creator, Jesus.  I'm not sure we are capable of answering that question, or that it even matters.
     I believe, however, that prior to The Fall, Adam and Eve could see into the spiritual world. They were able to walk with God in the cool of the evenings and speak directly to Him. They were even able to see the devil, when he came to tempt them. But after they disobeyed God, they were blinded and could no longer see into the spiritual realm.  I believe that this is the state in which most of us find ourselves today.  I also believe, that at His discretion, God is able to restore sight to those Christians who can forego their doubt and unbelief and accept His direction.
     But I also believe that Authority will come into play as we near the final struggle for dominion over this earth. God is revealing exactly what we're dealing with, so that we can prepare ourselves for the battle that Satan and his wicked partners plan to bring against us.  They know that Jesus is readying Himself and His army to stop the reign of the Lawless One and take back Authority over His creation.  Until then, He has given us a measure of His authority, and that's what I want to explore with you on my next post.  That is where it gets exciting for me, and I can't wait to share with you what that can look like!

Ephesians 3:10    "So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."


   
   

   

8 comments:

  1. I love it!!! This is the education I've been looking for, but not finding, in a church for years.
    I am so glad you are yielding to the HS's prompting with regard to the direction you are taking your blog. This is much needed preparation for me and I thank you!

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    1. I'm so glad you are interested in this subject, Dianna! And please feel free to present questions for discussion... we all need to be a part of this conversation!

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  2. Hi Belle, this is my first time commenting on your Blog.
    It "Does" seem as if Christians these days want to take the "Super Natural" out of Christianity.

    Anyway, I found your Blog a few weeks ago. I have been intensely researching to find the truth about Biblical issues including the origin of the biblical giants (Nephilim). I have been studying on my own for about 2 yrs "without" outside influence (re-evaluating my own beliefs as I do every 5 yrs or so)...to not allow myself to be influenced by others until I'm done "Re-Learning" stuff hehe.

    Well, recently I began looking to see what others have to say. FFWD... I used to believe strongly that Angels could not have married women, but I have been forced to change my position on that. I now know how much I "Don't" know about the spiritual realm. :P I used to think I knew everything about Angels. Now I know better. Funny how that works huh?

    Thanks for your strength to speak!

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    1. It is so encouraging to hear you say you are doing a deep dive in Scripture and re-evaluating your doctrinal beliefs. That is something we should all do! And I earnestly believe that God is stirring up His remnant to do that, too -- to read His Word with the insight of the Holy Spirit and to see it in a fresh and new light.

      I have always found it interesting how many times pastors will preach on Genesis, Chapter 6, but start at verse 8, totally skipping over what Scripture clearly tells us happened... fallen angels mated with human women and produced offspring called the Nephilim. This was Satan's attempt to corrupt the seed of man so that Jesus, who would need to be come through an uncorrupted line, could not be born perfect.

      I don't get hung up on whether these angels married women -- in fact, I don't think they did. After all, we don't have to be married to produce offspring, right? We just need to mate. So the argument that Scripture says angels neither marry nor are given in marriage simply doesn't apply.

      So congratulations for being receptive to new revelations from God and the Holy Spirit as you study your Bible. I believe that greatly pleases our Lord!

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  3. First of all...I LOVE your blog!! It is so wonderful to find someone who believes like me. I am not good with words so now I am able to forward your words to people knowing they are just as I believe.
    The other reason for commenting on this particular blog is I wondered if you have read "Giants, Fallen Angels and the return of the Nephilim" by Dennis Lindsay? I am currently reading it. It is very informative on this subject.
    Thank you for all your research, passion, and above all your love of our Savior.
    Peace and blessings.

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    1. Thank you, Charlie! No, I have not read Mr. Lindsay's book, but I will be sure to check it out. And, yes, it is comforting and encouraging to know that we are not alone; that there are fellow Christians who are able to see and hear the Lord at a deeper level. It is my prayer that I am always able to discern His whisper.

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  4. I like very much what you have written and quite frankly it's about time. I honestly become angry when doctrinal Christians keep referring to the scripture, resist the devil and he will flee, the context is wrong and Paul was referring to sinful temptations, not the spirit realm. We perish through lack of knowledge and the church has become weak and powerless. Christians are suffering because they have been taught in error and none know how to engage in spiritual warfare. I have been on an 18 year quest to get free from spiritual things that have come from the demonic realm and when I have spoken about the ignorant, I have been accused of participating in witchcraft.
    You are absolutely correct on God providing us with earthly, land dominion but He controls and rules in the heavens and in the spiritual domain. I could go on for ages but finally someone is talking.

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    1. I would very much be interested in your experiences, and perhaps you would be willing to share what God has revealed to you. You can contact me at belle@salvationandsurvival.com, if you would like. Eighteen years is a lot of accrued knowledge and I'm sure my readership could benefit form your history and knowledge. The Church desperately needs to be taught by those whom God has led in the knowledge of the spiritual realms and spiritual warfare.

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