2009-6-19 03:09:00
Now since we have concluded that the earth and all things in it have a counterpart, or spirit, one is inclined to question the function of these spiritual models. One can understand the purpose of the earth's spirit when he understands his own. What does man's spirit do? Yes, it keeps him alive, and when it leaves all living organs cease to function as well as the growing parts such as hair and fingernails. So what would happen if the earth's spirit were to leave? The same, of course. All living things would die and cease to grow and reproduce for the spirit gives life to all things. Since God is responsible for the creation of this spirit world which co-exists with our physical earth, it would be subject to him and is the perpetuator of life. The statement is fulfilled which says: "For in him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28).
The fact that the earth can actually "give up the ghost" or die is indeed no new doctrine for it was taught by the prophets of old: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away." (Rev 21:1) Also: "[...] in the which the heavens shall pass away with great noise...." (2 Peter 3:10) This cannot mean that the heavens and the earth will cease to exist for everything that exists is eternal, and that is not what death means. According to scripture death is not complete annihilation, but separation. Thus when our body dies it will be separated from the spirit.
There are many more variations to the meaning of the word "death" other than the termination of our mortal existence for there are innumerable things from which we can be separated. If one is separated from his job he is dead to it. If husband and wife have a great mental barrier they may become dead to, or separated from, each other. Then too, if one has no association with God he is dead to spiritual things.
Paul described yet another death: "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col 3:2-3) What are the saints dead to or separated from? The "things on the earth."
Another death discussed in the Bible, the most familiar to us, is physical death. An example is: "If a man die, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14)
But the most widely discussed death in the Bible, especially the New Testament, and the least understood is the spiritual death or the separation from God. "The wages of sin is death." (Rom 6:23) We are separated from God when we sin.
There are many scriptures using the word "death" synonymous with term "separated from God." I will give a few examples. In these examples just substitute "separated from God" for the word "death."
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life eternal." (Rom 8:6)
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." (Eph 2:1)
"And you, being dead in your sins...." (Col 2:13)
"But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." (1 Tim 5:6)
"And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never be die." (John 11:26)
"We know that we have passed from death (separation from God) unto life because we love the brethren." (1 John 3:14)
Those who read the New Testament, trying to apply only one meaning to the word "death" are bound to be confused. Even though it does not always mean separation from the body or separation from God it always means separation from something and that is the key to understanding the scriptural passages on death.
Now we can understand the meaning of the passage: "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." (2 Peter 3:10)
When the earth passes away, or dies, what shall it be separated from? For one thing, the scripture clearly tells us it will be separated from the "works that are therein". Because it shall die it shall also be separated from its spirit and all life will cease until there shall appear new heavens and a new earth." (2 Peter 3:13) When the new earth is created it will be filled with all manner of life dwelling in an industrious and happy state. (Isaiah 65:17-25)
So far we have concluded that life is produced when a spirit and physical body are intermingled and connected, and for the spirit to exist it must be made of something. Thus one may wonder how the spirit matter and the matter we see about us co-exist. The answer is relatively simple. Take a glass of water and dissolve in it a spoonful, of salt. Notice that the volume has remained the same. Did the salt disappear or cease to exist? Of course not. Instead the molecules of the salt have filled the empty space between the molecules of the water. Science says that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. This law holds true for the salt and water, although it may not seem so to the unlearned.
So how do the spirit and body co-exist? Why not the same way? Material element is 99.9999 per cent empty space, so co-existence is more than possible.
To further understand co-existence one may compare the earth to a giant sponge, symbolizing the coarseness of physical matter. The sponge is suspended in a vast container of water, symbolizing the refined spirit matter. Here we an example of co-existence: the water and the sponge. Now stretch your imagination and picture there being all manner of life on the sponge -- animals, plants, and people like ourselves all made of this sponge material and unaware of the water which surrounds them. As the creatures walk around they would have no way of knowing that they were surrounded by matter more pure, fine and encompassing than that which they were made. The water is everywhere to them, but imperceptible.
Picture a fanatic arising among them and preaching that they were living in a substance called water, which is real and all around them. They would laugh and say it is impossible for they cannot touch it, smell it, see it hear it and none of their senses can detect it. Why, it can't even be weighed. Surely it doesn't exist. The poor fanatic could offer them no proof but common sense, theory and what he feels. Consequently, he would be rejected.
Yes, it could not even be weighed. The equal pressure caused by the all-present water would cause any amount to register zero on the scales. Isn't it the same way with the spirit? How many times do people say that there is no afterlife because a person's body weighs the same before and after death? This is true. Since spirit matter is all around, the equal pressure causes any amount of spirit matter to register zero on our scales. A man trying to weigh a man's spirit is like a man on the sponge world trying to weigh some water. It would be as difficult for sponge man to weigh water on his world or for us to weigh the spirit, as it would be to weigh ten cubic feet of water by placing a pair of scales ten feet below the surface of a swimming pool or to weigh a column of air one hundred miles high. Everyone knows that because we are surrounded by tons of air it does not register on scales because the air pressure is exerted all directions. Spiritual matter also conforms to law and the similar laws would apply there. Thus the skeptic has no sound reason on which to base his belief. All truth conforms to true reason.
Let us suppose that a few scientists on this sponge world listen to this fanatic with an open mind. They decide they want to find out if he is right or wrong and they reason that if the water does exist it would be possible to trap some. To do this they set to invent a more refined material which is not so full of holes and has less empty space than that of which they are made. The material they create is called rubber. They take the rubber and form a balloon and put it in space free from their sponge matter. They seal the balloon, take it out of what seems to be empty space and find that it has been filled with something. They can now squeeze and feel the water, but their scales register only the weight of the balloon. Remember if one tried to weigh a water balloon under water only the rubber in the balloon would register, that is assuming it was heavier than water.
Thus the scientists prove to themselves that water exists for one of their senses they trust can detect it, the sense of touch.
Since the spirit world coexists with the earth, as the water with the sponge people then the same reasoning could apply. If our scientists could develop a material much less coarse than regular matter it may be possible to trap some material from the spirit world and thus prove its existence. Unfortunately, such a material is beyond the reaches of science at the present.
One can only speculate to the nature of spirit matter. It may be subject to laws we know not of. One may be assured that if the spirit world were discovered scientists would be hesitant to call or identify it as such. More than likely they would call it a new dimension, and the material therein would be called by some hybrid word instead of applying the word "spirit" or giving any credit to the soundness of supernatural beliefs peoples of the world may have had.
I believe the matter in the spirit world is composed of atoms and molecules similar to those here for we have established the fact that all things have a spiritual counterpart. It is possible that the subatomic particles in these atoms move at a much faster speed than regular matter, possibly at the speed of light. This would account for its intangibility to us. So its particles may be similar to what nuclear physicists call a photon. This is a subatomic particle with zero mass and is made of pure energy. Whatever the spirit world's nature one may be assured that it is built upon eternal principles subject to the will of God.
Copyright © 2009 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved