I do not for a minute think we can see all there is to see. There is a spiritual realm all around us that we are almost completely unable to see, although I do think we can feel it on occasion and this is when our hair stands on end. The Bible provides a number of times this separation between the physical world and the spiritual realm are breached.
The above scene from Exodus 3: 2-21 captures Moses when God decides to speak with him through a burning bush that does not burn up. This is a moment when God enables Moses to see what normally cannot be seen and gets his attention with fire. God will use fire and smoke later with all of Israel as He leads them through the Wilderness.
Moses is an interesting character in the Bible because he may have more first hand knowledge of God than anyone else in the Bible. Time and again we have Moses' recorded words of his exchanges with God. There are too many for a short article, but I suggest anyone interested read the Exodus account. One of these that I will also highlight is Moses on Mount Sinai (Horeb) receiving the Ten Commandments in Exodus 19. All of Israel sees the fireworks on the mountain as Moses listens to God and receives instruction.
Joshua, Moses replacement, who is tasked with leading Israel into the Promised Land, had a similar relationship with God. Joshua meets the captain of the Lord's Army in Joshua 5: 13-15 and is given instruction in the defeat of Jericho. Joshua receives a glimpse behind the veil and sees this captain face to face. The captain was there before Joshua sees him, but Joshua did not know it. Then suddenly this captain is there with his sword and Joshua approaches him. Thge Lord's Army is invisable to our eyes, but it does not mean it does not exist.
Elijah is another prophet who has encounter after encounter with God. At the end of his life, when he is turning over his role to Elisha, Elisha sees him fly off in a chariot of fire in 2 Kings 2: 1-18. This is one of those challenging stories in the Bible because what exactly did Elisha witness? Something happened with Elijah and Elisha witnessed it, but it was so far from his understanding and comprehension that he describes it as a flaming chariot or whirlwind taking Elijah into heaven. This is clearly a major supernatural event being played out in the natural world that Elisha witnesses.
There are more of these examples in the Old Testament, but I handpicked a handful that are some of the most popular and well known stories that most people, even if not Christians have probably heard. Each of these stories captures the intersection of the spiritual and the physical world for a brief moment. Does anyone honestly think the spiritual realm only exists every now and then? My argument here and the reason I am writing this is to urge people to realize there is more going on around them than they realize. We are surrounded by the spiritual, even if we cannot see it.
Does the New Testament have similar examples as the Old Testament? You bet it does and some of them are just as fantastic and totally outside of our ability to comprehend. One of my favorite examples happens during Jesus baptism. At this point in Matthew 3: 13-17 it is like a curtain is pulled back and the Spirit of God descends onto Jesus and we hear the voice of God speaking. This is one of my favorites because I think it gives us a glimpse into just how close the Kingdom of God is to us. We are surrounded by this spiritual realm, even if we cannot see it. In each of these stories the veil covering our eyes is temprarily removed and the person involved can see something they could not see before.
I think Elisha in 2 kings 6: 8-17 has a very similar experience. Elisha prays to God that his servant can see what he sees and God answers and the servant see they are surrounded by an army with horses and chariots. Notice in this story how the Army of God is there, but the servant is unable to see and Elisha prays that his eyes could witness what he sees. Does Elisha walk around with a special capacity to see behind the veil and witness God's action in real time? I do not begrudge the prophets who were able to see behind the veil and witness the spiritual world around them, I am thankful these examples were kept alive for us so we can believe there is more than meets the eye.
There is a spiritual world and spiritual battles being waged in real time in this world, right under our noses and we have no idea. We only see what we can see in the physical world, but there are moments where people get to see the rest of the picture. In Mark 9: 1-10, Peter, James, and John have a smilar experience. Jesus brings them to a private moment away from the rest of the Apostles and followers and they see Jesus with Elijah and Moses and hear the voice of God. Elijah and Moses are not dead, they are alive and with Jesus. Can you imagine the size of the group following Jesus' every step? We read about the physical people following him and surrounding him during his ministry, but what about those we cannot see? Jesus even says while being arrested in Matthew 26: 52-55 that if he wanted to he could appeal to his Father and more than twelve legions of angels would protect him.
I have to think those angels were very close at hand. I suspect they were there with Jesus during his entire public ministry and it is they who minister to Him when he goes away from the masses to pray alone. We humans just could not see the spiritual battle taking place all around Jesus, but we get glimpses of it.
This is one of the weaknesses of the modern church in my opinion. Most of us are so far removed from the miracles of the Bible, we act as if they did not happen and could never happen again. We hear stories about people having encounters with the spiritual, but you and I, we are stuck on this side of the curtain without even being able to see the curtain. We are so far removed from the curtain that we are not away it within arms reach, if we could only see it. The Kingdom of God is at hand. These were the words of Jesus himself when he l;aunched his ministry and walked in both realms at the same time for all to see. Look at Matthew 4: 17 if you do not believe me.
Not only was the King in the presence of man, but the one who will rip the veil and open the path to God taught us about it for three years straight. The modern church, we focus on buildings, baptisms, and tithes and offerings and miss the devotion to God and love for our neighbor that opens the door to the other side. There is whole nother world most of us will not see until we die, but I think God will show it to people when necessary for His work to be done. I do not expect to ever see behind the veil in this lifetime, but man I would sure love to. Would you believe me though if I told you about it?