The purpose of the Scriptures is not to merely present history. Hidden within them are the principles and truths of the Kingdom of God. These principles and truths are the accesses to the Life only found in the world of God. There are two worlds: the world of God (the realm of Spirit) and the world of man. The world of man, unlike the world of God, is in the realm of history and time. It advances horizontally. The world of God is eternity, which is timeless. Thus, God is often referred to as Jehovah, I am that I am, the right-now God or the God of the present. Those who “come to God must believe that He is” (Hebrew 11:6).
The heavens were opened to Jesus Christ during the days of His humanity (Matthew 3:16-17), and the heavens are opened to those who are of Him. Once the heavens are opened they remain open for those who would enter into God’s world. When we begin entering into the heavens of God’s world is when we begin experiencing the life-changes that culminate in Him (Ephesians 1:10).
The Scriptures are wrapped in the garments of man’s world. They are written in the languages of man and presented to us in the form of history and time, using the concepts and principles of the reasonings of man. God’s world of Spirit is hidden within them and is only found by those who have received the spiritual capacity from God to delve beyond the realm of man into the heavens of eternity.
All of this is fundamental to our subject of life-changes. Too often we think in terms of absolutes: either we are saved or not saved; filled with the Spirit or not filled with the Spirit; in the Body of Christ or not in the Body of Christ; in the Kingdom of Heaven or not in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is not that simple. There are life-changes that take place within the life-realm of God. Peter said, We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth (II Peter 3:13). Every time you enter into a new heaven of God’s world you also become a new earth – life changes take place.
Much of Christianity is still in the realm of man’s world. They interpret the Scriptures according to the historical time-realm of man; that is, they view the Scriptures primarily as what God did in the past and what He will do in the future. The main reason so many fail to see the life-realm of God in the Scriptures is because they are using the reasonings of the human mind to interpret them. Consequently, they come up with various doctrines, resulting in various denominations and religious organizations that differ in their interpretation of the Scriptures. God’s world has to be perceived with the heart, not the intellect of man. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God Matthew 5:8. Again in Proverbs 3:5, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. And in verse 7 of the same chapter we are told to depart from the evil of being wise in our own eyes.
Do you understand how the Scriptures are outwardly seen in the garments of man and that the world of God (the life-realm) is hidden within them? This is why Jesus, when asked by His disciples why He taught the people in parables when they couldn’t understand them, said, It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given (Matthew 13:11). Now, if you have a handle on this truth, we can go to the passage of Scripture I have been working toward.
I Samuel 13:1-2a Saul
reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2a Saul chose
him three thousand men of Israel…
Saul became king of Israel and after one year he chose three thousand men to battle against the Philistines. You might ask, “What has that got to do with life-changes in God’s world?” When Saul was anointed king over Israel he became symbolic of the anointed of the Lord, the kings that will rule and reign with the Lord, for He is the King of kings (I Timothy 6:15). So, in a very real sense, Saul here is symbolic of one who has entered the heavens of God’s world. This is seen more clearly when we look at the original language of this verse: Saul was one year old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years over Israel….”
Now Saul wasn’t one year old when he became king. It is written this way to show us that when we become kings under the King of kings we have entered into a new life. A life-change takes place. Saul symbolically was taken out of the world of man and brought into the world of God. Then, when he chose three thousand men and went to war against the Philistines, he became a warring king. At this time the Scripture says that he is two years old, which means he has symbolically entered a new heaven of the life-realm of God. Becoming a king under the King of kings is one life-realm, but when you become a warring king with the warring King you have entered a new life-realm. Thus, we see an example of life-changes in the world of God.
Copyright © 2003 by Henry DuBose