The Real Realm

The world we see everyday. The drive to work, the coffee we drink, the aromas we smell, the lights that enter our eye gates. They are all what the Bible calls earthly. They will all fade away.

2 Peter 3:10–13 KJV 1900

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

We naturally separate the natural world from the spiritual but for human beings that is not a possibility. We are created by God in the image of God

Genesis 1:26 KJV 1900

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Were different than animals, our blood is different than any other blood on the earth. There are people who go hunting and can gut a deer, but the sight of human blood just does something to their psyche

Because of this we must remember that our physical decisions we make in our daily life has ramifications on our spiritual daily life aswell.

The apostle Paul said it best.

Ephesians 6:12 KJV 1900

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The world we live in is only what has been created by God. This world has only existed for approximately 6,000 years. The real realm is the eternal one. The one that will be around for eons and eons or eternity as the Bible calls it.

This realm is invisible to the naked eye but has been tangibly seen.

Consider Elisha and his servant when they were surrounded

2 Kings 6:15–18 KJV 1900

15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Elijah when he prayed and called fire down from heaven, the sun standing still for Joshua, the sun turning back for Hezekiah.

One of the best examples that is very well known of the spiritual effecting the physical is the 10 plagues on Egypt.

In the old testament we have many occurences of the spiritual realm being made tangible.

Consider the plagues on Egypt.

The Lord is physically judging a physical people with supernatural feats.

What were the plagues.

Blood

Frogs

Lice

Flies

Livestock

Boils

Hail

Locust

Darkness

Death of firstborn

What was being done was super natural and could not be explained or replicated by man. The magicians were able to duplicate the first miracle and the first 2 plagues. But when it came to the lice they were not able to duplicate it.

They said

Exodus 8:19 KJV 1900

19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

2 Timothy 3:8 KJV 1900

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

The magicians knew there was something different about these men. The word for God there is Elohim take note of that, that is the same word used for God back in Genesis 1:26 when God said let us make man in our image.

We go through 9 plagues but just before the 10th and final plague God speaks to Moses very specifically. We pick up in verse 11 when Moses is being instructed on eating the passover meal.

Exodus 12:11–13 (KJV 1900)

11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover.

12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.

13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

The word used for gods of Egypt is Elohim. This word is overwhelming used to reference God with a capital G. However it is used in other applications such as this one.

The two times goddess is used in the old testament it is the word elohim. When reference false gods through out the old testament this Hebrew word Elohim is used.

The point I am wanting to make is how real we make God in creation. We personify Him, we dignify Him, and we give Him glory as we should. I even capitalized the word Him because honor is due Him. But how real are these other elohim to us. How much credit do we give to what the apostle Paul said about wrestling not against flesh and blood.

You see these other elohim were very real to the Egyptians. They openly worshiped them, adored them, invested in them, and held them sacred. When the Egyptians said this is the finger of God, the word they used in Exodus 8:19 is elohim. They don’t know a different version of God.

But take not in Exodus 12:12 when God makes the distinction for HIMSELF he passes through to smite not just people of the land but the gods ELOHIM of Egypt, and he caps it off by saying I AM JEHOVAH, the name of the one and only God, the LORD.

Both are equally as real, and must be treated as such. The good and the evil are equally real and must be treated as such.

Because they believed God was real they did what He said.

What did God say to do?

Exodus 12:22–23 KJV 1900

22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

The passover happens and the children of Israel leave all the first born of man and beast are slain

death entered Egypt in a disturbing way

because if this

Exodus 12:33–36 KJV 1900

33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. 34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. 35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 36 And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

They obeyed and took many riches from the children of Israel

These amazing miracles happen and just before the parting of the red sea

Exodus 14:10–12 KJV 1900

10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. 11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

The primary take away from this is salvation through the blood of the Lamb. And thank God for his shed blood. What amazing picture of a physical act that had spiritual results.

Quickly notice 3 parallels from the physical Acts, that cause spiritual results. And two effects that follow

Turn to the book of Matthew

Matthew 6 is right in the middle of what we know as the sermon on the mount.

Here we see 3 acts emphasized.

consider them the door posts and lentil of this illustration

Giving

Praying

Fasting

If gave as must thought to the spiritual as we do to the physical we would take these three things as seriously as the children of Israel took applying the blood to the door posts.

What is interesting to note is the very next verses in matthew 6 are

Matthew 6:19–24 KJV 1900

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Just as the children of Isreal had just seen results from a physical act of obedience they were blessed with treasure more than they had ever seen. This treasure can quickly become their “elohim”

And right after warnings of the treasure becoming exalted

Matthew 6:25–34 KJV 1900

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Millenia may separate us from the Exodus of Egypt but we still serve the same Jehovah, and we still must fight against the bad elohim.

May they be equally as real in our eyes

May we

Give, Pray, and Fast believing the physical acts will bring spiritual results.

May we lay up treasures in heaven and be worried for nothing as we continue to strive together.