5/14/2021

THE SPIRIT REALM 一 WHAT IS IT? EXIST?

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HE December 1, 2010 Watchtower came with the following cover question: “Who Inhabit the Spirit Realm?” Hence the article goes on to explain one of our beliefs, that there is a spiritual world. Since it is believed that God, Jesus and the angels even Satan and his demons have spiritual bodies; invisible, then such beings must live in a world different from ours, and this world, it concludes, must be a spiritual, invisible world. It is not just Jehovah's Witnesses who believe this way, the vast majority of the religions of this world also think so. In addition, there are religions that teach that even we human beings, when we die, transform ourselves into spirits and, thus, we leave for the same spiritual world.

     Although this is a common belief among religions, there has not yet been one that could point out where this supposedly incomprehensible world is. Therefore, it was with great pleasure that I started to do a personal Bible study on this one, which seems to me to be another example of mistaken teaching.

     Although they are unable to point out where such a world is, note that the magazine mentioned above comes with a photo of a father pointing to his son what could be the direction of this "spiritual world" the father points beyond the heavens of the earth!

     Could there really be a spiritual world in outer space, among the stars of our galaxy, the Milky Way? Or was it located beyond it? What could the Bible reveal to us about this fabulous place and why, after all, is it common to believe in a spiritual world?

Did you find the "Spirit Realm"?

      Under the subtitle “His attributes”, Insight into the Scriptures explains that “The true God is not omnipresent, because he is spoken of as having a location." (1Ki 8:49; Joh 16:28; Heb 9:24) His throne is in heaven. (Isa 66: 1) "and" The true God is spirit, not flesh (John 4:24; 2Co 3:17) " Vol. 1 p. 691.

Let us examine the texts cited in order to find a clue about the location of the spiritual world. Let us read 1 Kings 8:49: "Then, from heaven, your established place of abode, you will have to hear their prayer and their request for favor, and you will have to execute judgment for them." Notice that the world where God lives is here called "the heavens". Can there be a spiritual world in any part of our atmosphere? Or was it somewhere in the skies of the universe, out there, the likely place? It is indeed correct to affirm that the “established place of abode” of God (of all gods) is, not an abstract world, but on some planet in some star of our galaxy.

What could we understand by "heavens"? For example, during the whole period when God and his billions of angelic children were creating our 'heavens and earth', as I explained here, they had a main base in orbit on our planet. (Genesis 1: 1) That was where the Gods' home was located until they went to their home planet, after they had finished everything they had to do here.

Now just look at them going up and down, day after day, centuries after centuries, while they were doing their jobs here. Therefore, it is only obvious that we see that "the heavens" where the gods originally live must be beyond the skies of our planet, in outer space, however, this world must be a planet, just like ours. Jehovah's human servants observed this constant movement. Read Genesis 17:22, 28:12; Amos 9: 6.


      John 16:28, the next text, says: “I left the Father's side and came into the world. Furthermore, I leave the world and go to the Father.” Jesus here did not even indicate a spiritual world. Paul, in Hebrews 9:24, explained: “Because Christ entered, not in a holy place made by hands, which is a copy of reality, but in heaven itself, to appear now for us before the person of God”. Paul also mentions heaven as the place where God lives and says nothing about this place being a spiritual world. Just as the high priest entered the part of the tent known as the most holy, Jesus entered heaven, where God dwells.

      Likewise Isaiah 66: 1, the next text presented there in Insight, speaks of the heavens as the abode of God and not an abstract world. Let us read: “Thus said Jehovah: 'The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool'.”

"God is Spirit"?

     But perhaps, the basis of belief in a supposed spiritual world is more supported by the assumption that, as Insight says, “the true God is spirit, not flesh”. The basis of this statement, they say, is the words of Jesus, who said: "God is Spirit" [Lit.:"Spirit [is] God." Gr.: Pneú·ma ho The·os.]”. (John 4:24) Does Jesus really say that 'God is not flesh'? No! The text says that "God is spirit" and the word flesh does not appear here. Does the text narrate here about the physical composition of God? Not necessarily!

For example: how can we understand the following similar statements ?: "God is light" - Does God have a light body? Like a firefly or like a star? 1 John 1: 5; "God is love" - ​​what do you mean? Is his body love? 1 John 4: 8; God is the rock - is Jehovah the equivalent of our stone man? Psalm 73:26; “God is faithful” - how can there be a faithful body? 1 Corinthians 10:13; “God is strong” Job 36: 5 - this expression is easier to understand. What other texts can we remember where it says' God is. . . '? Shall we understand then how God can be spirit?

      We must read the context to determine how we can understand Jesus' claim about his Father 'being a spirit'. Let us read: "He said to her, 'Go, call your husband and come to this place.' In response, the woman said, 'I have no husband.' Jesus said to him, 'You said well, "I have no husband." For you have had five husbands, and the [man] you now have is not your husband. That you said truthfully. ' The woman said to him, 'Lord, I understand that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this hill; but you say that the place where people are to worship is in Jerusalem. ' Jesus said to her, 'Believe me, woman: The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem you will worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we love what we know, because salvation comes from the Jews. Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and now it is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, because, indeed, the Father is looking for such ones to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him with spirit and truth. ' The woman said to him: 'I know that Messiah is coming, who is called Christ. When he arrives, he will openly declare all things to us. ' Jesus said to him: 'I, who speak to you, am he'.” John 4: 16-26.

The flesh X spirit

      That Samaritan woman, though a worshiper of God, like many Jews, practiced the works of the flesh and not the spirit (compare Galatians 5: 13-25 and 1 Corinthians 3: 3). In this way, she 'she adored what she did not know', because God neither practices nor approves of a wanton life. Worship of God cannot be tainted by carnal practices. To want to worship Jehovah in this way is to live lying worship. Hence Jesus prophesied that his Father was in search of those who worshiped him by practicing the works of the 'spirit' and not those of the 'flesh' and 'in truth' not a 'life of lies' free from sinfulness in the flesh and religious lies.* Similarly, there he does not speak of the literal body of God, but of his personality and mental disposition.

      The context, therefore, suggests that we need to be 'spirits' in order to practice “the fruits of the spirit”, as Paul said in Galatians 5:22, which are: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith , mildness, [and] self-control ”and not because we literally transform ourselves from carnal bodies to a spiritual body that does not exist. The text concludes by saying that "those who belong to Christ Jesus have staked the flesh with their passions and desires"

      Let us read the next text that appears in Insight along with John 4:24. Let us read 2 Corinthians 3:17:

 


      “Now, Jehovah is the Spirit; and wherever Jehovah's spirit is, there is freedom.” This statement is very similar to that of John 4:24. Read the entire context and you will notice that, even there, there is talk again of the kind of God that Jehovah is there he mentions a free-spirited God. Through the Law of Christ, which replaced the Law of Moses, he gave his worshipers the same spirit of freedom. The context (verse 6) shows that it was God “who indeed [qualified the apostles] properly to be [in] ministers of a new covenant, not of a written code, but of spirit; because the written code condemns death, but the spirit quickens.” Therefore, far from this text it is referring to the body of God, it compares the superiority of the New Covenant Mediated by His Son a spiritual Covenant with freedom as a target in relation to the old Mosaic Covenant, based on the flesh and had slavery to it as an impediment to full worship of God, the most spiritual Being.

      Now let us read the text with the context: “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are using it very frankly in speaking, and we do not do as Moses [did], putting a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel would not look look carefully at the end of what was to be eliminated. But his mental faculties were obtuse. For until the present day the same veil remains without being lifted, when reading the old covenant, because it is eliminated through Christ. In fact, to this day, whenever you read Moses, there is a veil lying over your hearts. But when there is a return to Jehovah, the veil is removed. Now, Jehovah is the Spirit; and wherever Jehovah's spirit is, there is freedom. And all of us, while with unveiled faces we reflect Jehovah's glory as mirrors, we are transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, just as done by Jehovah, [The] spirit." 2 Corinthians 3: 12-18.

 

God - Perfect in Spirituality

Yes, we will be spiritual people as much as our God Jehovah It is if, instead of walking as slaves to the flesh, we walk reflecting the spiritual glory of our God who is perfect in spiritual qualities. Let us obey Paul, who said: “Keep walking by spirit, and you will not carry out any carnal desires." For the flesh is against the spirit in its desire, and the spirit against the flesh; because they are opposed to each other, so that the very things you would like to do, you do not do. Furthermore, if you are being led by spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5: 16-18.

      Therefore, we saw here that God (or all the other gods) do not have spiritual bodies and that, therefore, that is why the Bible teaches nothing about a mythological "world of spirits". There are many texts in the Bible that even allow us to imagine such a world, but, when analyzed in detail in a personal study, taking into account our “reasoning ability” (Romans 12: 1) and having the all-important help of “helper” (John 14:16) of God, we will be able to see the truth. So, if all the gods do not live in a supposed spiritual world and do not have equally spiritual bodies, where do they live and with what bodies? In a next personal study, we will get to the truth about this.


      There are, in fact, many other truths that the spirit of God has revealed to me (he was poured out on 'my flesh' - Joel 2:28) and which will be made available here gradually. Previously, in apostolic times, it would have been no use for Jesus to narrate about many of these truths due to the fact that his listeners were not prepared to endure these flashes of light, but that now is the right time. Jesus said: "I still have many things to say to you, but you are currently unable to endure them." John 16:12.

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* “Therefore, those in union with Christ Jesus have no condemnation. For the law of that spirit which gives life in union with Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Because, being unable on the part of the Law, while she was weak through the flesh, God, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the Law would be fulfill us who walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. For those who are in agreement with the flesh fix their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in agreement with the spirit, on the things of the spirit. For the mentality according to the flesh means death, but the mentality according to the spirit means life and peace; because the mentality according to the flesh means enmity with God, since it is not in subjection to the law of God, in fact, nor can it be. So that those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8: 1-8.