The Spiritual World – Part 1
This is an excerpt from Peter Tan’s book “The Spiritual World”, which can be downloaded for free here: The Spiritual World
The Spiritual Body
The spiritual body is of a youthful appearance. There is no old age. Children and infants entering the spirit world grow to adult maturity but in a far shorter time than they would in earth time.
Spiritual maturity can be discerned in the countenance and light of a spiritual body. The spiritual body can also expand or contract but not in the same sense as it does in the physical world. The maximum size however is limited by the level of advancement in the spiritual spheres.
One is not necessarily the same height as one was in the physical world. Most of the time through spiritual growth (not always true of all aspects of growth – there are myriads of different areas of spiritual growth in the spiritual realm; each producing different radiance with some aspects producing expansion size of the spiritual body capability), one’s being is greater in size (height and proportional wise) but one can still take the form of those of the lower spheres at a height or image that is recognisable and visible to those of the lower spheres. There is a translucence of the spiritual body but it is a solidness and lightness of spiritual substance. Light emanates from the spiritual body.
Communication
Communication is via thoughts and spirit impressions. In the spirit realm, one can understand perfectly all the spoken languages of the earth. This understanding is not directly through knowledge of the language itself but rather the meaning and thoughts of the speaker are communicated directly and telepathically. God does not speak in human language even though we seem to hear God in the language that we are conversant with in earthly life. There is no language good enough or great enough for God to express Himself through. All human language created by humans is insufficient for the Creator of all life.
When we hear God speak in a human language, it is because our spirits understand it in a manner beyond language and then conveys it to our soul in a language that we have acquired during our earthly life. Spirit to spirit communication is beyond language. It is like deep calling unto deep (1 Corinthians 2:10, 11; Romans 8:26, 27). It is like an impartation of experience and knowledge or like the transfer of data from one computer to another except that this computer illustration lacks the transfer of the full experience and senses involved with the subject matter. One instantly “knows” (the word ‘know’ is limiting here because it also involves the process of actually experiencing the knowledge) what is communicated. The further one progresses spiritually, one does not need even any earthly language thoughts to communicate; then would pass away the last shreds of the limiting earthly habit of human language.
There is a sense of knowing that is beyond the physical world. When you pick up a flower in heaven and desire to look at it to analyse it, you actually “seem to become the flower” and know everything about the flower because you have “experienced being a flower”.
When you meet another person, and desire to know about the person, you “seem to become the person” and be able to know everything about that person. There is a limitation with sentient spirit beings with free will. This special and supernatural “knowing” is only possible with the free will consent of one another.
The apostle Paul is speaking about this realm when he said that we shall know as we are known (1 Corinthians 13:12). This sense of being able to “become what you want to know” (without actually becoming the object) is an instantaneous knowledge infusion which includes not only objective knowledge but all subjective and perspective knowledge. Thus everyone understands everyone else perfectly. Spoken language is still used more for the beauty and music in the differences of communication and for special areas of purposeful creations through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Light
In the Spiritual World, the only light that lights up the entire universe is the light of Christ that shines from His throne. This light does not cast any shadows but rather flows right through all living creatures in the spiritual realm. Even the light of the brightest angels is the refraction of the light of Christ. Those who are on the earth spheres do not see the light of Christ all the time because in the spiritual world you need the same equivalent spiritual level to see in that same level of spiritual light. From time to time, the light of Christ would shine according to the needs of individuals in the earth sphere but the visibility of that glorious light has to be diminished according to the level of the individual.
However, the presence of Christ is always there without the individual spirit, who is not developed to the higher glory, realising it. This light is also the very means by which all life in every sphere is sustained and nourished. The light of the spiritual world is different from the physical sunlight that the material earth has. It is interpenetrating and shines through the physical realm.
Thus when we look at a human being from the spiritual realm, we do not really see the physical body, it appears like a mist or envelope – although this also depends on the spiritual development of the spirit; those who are still earth-bound see the material realm as a solid. The well developed spirits of the higher spirit realm see right into the spirit and soul of humans.
Sight
The spiritual world has its own substance and just as the spiritual world is invisible to us, our material world is more or less like a mist to those in the spiritual realm – with the exception of spirits in the lowest earth spheres whose basic character and mind is still very much earth based. When the spirit world looks at this material earth, it primarily sees only the spiritual aspects of the earth (the spirits of humans and the spirit life that sustains the world). The material world is almost invisible to the spirit realm especially to those of the highest sphere. The material world is only temporary and its “temporariness” is visible (like a mist) to those in the spiritual world.
The light of God shines through Christ who sits on the throne in the highest realm and lights up all of the universe and the spiritual spheres around the earth. Those who are highest in spiritual development see Christ in His full glory; while to those in lowest development, His appearance is like the sun shining upon them. Unlike the sun, the spiritual light from Jesus shines through all objects and when a spiritual being radiates with light, it is because the light refracts through the spirit being.
All the light of everything in the spiritual world come from Christ at the throne on high. The reason why spirits of the lowest realm cannot perceive or see this light is not because it is not there but rather that their own spiritual blindness has prevented them from seeing this light. Like a blind man born without proper eyes, their spiritual eyes are not yet developed to see the light of Christ which ever shines through all His creation. Thus to them, all is darkness save the light of angelic help which they receive. The light of Christ, which shines to and through all, casts no shadows.
Related:
Part 4 (Emotions & Evil Desires)
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Thank you!
You are welcome, Robert!
This is very well expressed, thank you.
I’d like to hear your thoughts on the relationship between Light and Life.
“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4
Thanks for dropping by Schuler. Part 2 has the information you’re looking for. I’ll post it shortly, but here’s an excerpt:
“Thoughts are creative in the spiritual realm. All spiritual beings emanate spiritual light through their thoughts. The light that is emanated reveals the various strengths of the spirit being; the various areas of perfections; the various areas of differentiation and characteristics, etc. Light in the spirit world is like blood (Here we are not referring to physical light made up of photons but rather spiritual light made up of the life and substance that flows from God Himself through the Word, our Lord Jesus.
In the physical world, life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). In the spiritual world, life is in the light (John 1:4). All our thoughts on this earth emanate light or darkness according to our inner spiritual life (Matthew 6:22, 23). All our words uttered, which are the vocal expression of our thought life, flow accordingly with the light of our thoughts. And just as it is possible to analyse physical blood to diagnose the strengths or weaknesses of the physical body; it is also possible to diagnose the strengths or weaknesses of our spirit man from the light that emanates from our spiritual life.”
That’s some meat right there. Thanks! Looking forward to the full posting. 🙂
Wonderful!