The Spiritual Worldview of Biblical Writers

The visions in the book of Revelation, reflect the spiritual worldview of Biblical writers, specifically the Apostle John, which is vastly different from those of us in the 21st century. The Bible was written for people of all time periods but was originally written by and to ancient near Eastern people. These people understood the physical and supernatural realms completely different from those living today understand those same realms.

The spiritual worldview of Biblical writers
included two worlds, two realms

The spiritual worldview of Biblical writers included;
an invisible, supernatural, spiritual, realm of the heavens;
and the visible, natural, physical realm of the universe.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are eternally existing, but everything else was created by Them.

Colossians 1:16 …English Standard Version
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

The unseen, spiritual world is the supernatural realm of the heavens, the heaven of heavens and the spiritual beings, who inhabit them. A realm where what we currently understand as the “laws of nature” do not apply.

The seen realm is the visible physical elements of the universe including Earth. This realm includes the galaxies, stars, planets. Even the individual elemental atoms and all their parts. The seen, physical world is the intended dwelling place of mankind, though occasionally, they were taken to, or shown the spiritual world. Physical laws of God do apply here, unless God sets them aside.  When that happens we call those occasions miracles.

What was There Before the Creation of the Earth
and all that dwell therein?

Before the Creation of the universe, there was God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity, the Godhead, was complete, lacking nothing.

Then, in Genesis 1, God began the creation of the heavens and earth. Everything was dark and what would become the earth, was watery, void and without form. God said let there be light, and there was light. That was the end of day 1 of creation.

The second day of Creation, God made a vault, an expanse between the waters so they were separated, above and below the vault, He called that space heaven.

Genesis 1:6-8 ESV
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

On the third day the earth is created, but something else happens, that's not mentioned in Genesis 1.

According to their will and plan, they created all the heavenly hosts, those whose primary appointed dwelling place was the supernatural spiritual realm of the heavens, between the beginning of day 1 and day 2.

Reading God's rebuke of Job fills in the gaps, a connecting of the dots, in my understanding.

Job 38:4-7 ESV
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Here, we see a new appearance, someone called the "morning stars" who sang and the "sons of God" who shouted for joy as they watched God create the earth.

Nehemiah 9:6 ESV
6  “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

Another new phrase is thrown into the dots, "the host of heaven" worshipping God.

Sons of God and the heavenly host

The heavenly hosts are divine, supernatural creatures created by God to serve Him and do His bidding. Some of the heavenly hosts have continued to serve God, while others have rebelled.

There are several terms used in the Scriptures to designate divine spiritual beings, who are collectively called the divine council.

In English translations, the most common occurrence is the term angel.  This English word derives from the Hebrew word “malak” or the Greek word “angelos”, both meaning messenger.

For most typical Christians, what we've covered here comes as quite a surprise, if not a shock. The spiritual worldview of biblical writers is completely foreign to most modern day students, in the average Christian church Bible study in the 21st century, we live in.

That's very unfortunate, because that lack of teaching fundamental Biblical theology and doctrine, that match the spiritual worldview of Biblical writers, is a major contributor to the difficulty current Bible students have in understanding spiritual realm visions of the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel; and much of the the Psalms as well.

After all, the sons of God, morning stars, and other unseen supernatural spiritual beings, who are members of God's spiritual family, the divine council. They are mentioned throughout the Bible, Old Testament, intertestamental Jewish writings and the New Testament.  From the beginning of the Bible to the end, when God creates a new heaven and earth, as it was in the beginning at the Garden of Eden. 

With God's spiritual being family and His human being family are continually worshipping, praising and serving Him. Finally, God's on earth, is like it was in the Garden of Eden, where God, spiritual beings, human beings, heaven and earth on all together, in the same place.

Thankfully, the spiritual worldview of Biblical writers, was included in the Bible, as originally written, without the interference of the doctrine of man.