Describing The Invisible With The Visible
 |
| Water flows through our Temple |
How can someone attempt to explain something seemingly unexplainable?
Perhaps by using an example people can understand and easily explain themselves.
The example itself is limited, but it may encourage further thinking of the unexplainable.
Religions have their claims regarding 'who' and 'how' and 'what' and 'where' and 'why' God 'is'.
These claims have justified wars and have caused much havoc on earth.
While some religious ideas and concepts of God can be similar, some are unique.
The similarities can be build upon, while what is unique should be recognized as such.
Similarities do not automatically mean what is similar is correct or true.
Also, something unique does not automatically mean the uniqueness is correct or true.
The opposite in these two examples is also true.
According to the historical example of Yeshua and what Yeshua said and did, the majority of Yeshua's teachings and actions are arguably acceptable across religious and ideological boundaries.
Rarely is there criticism of Yeshua's words or actions... and when criticism is voiced, often times the Gospel and objective history clarifies the criticism as mere confusion of Yeshua.
This criticism is unlikely justified because of the aforementioned confusion and misunderstanding.
More often the criticism is about those claiming to know, or follow, or believe in Yeshua: religious people.
This criticism is likely justified because there are goats among the sheep, impostors among the genuine, or people sincere yet confused... likely confused by ideological ideas beyond Yeshua.
Often times, the impostors / goats / confused religious people are criticized for having little to no Christ-like qualities in them.
I think using the physical examples of water is a decent way to begin explaining the transcendental spiritual characteristic of God.
Water's physical example isn't perfect, nor will it fully describe all that God is... but it is a simple and sufficient effort that can further understanding.
What are water's 'characteristics'?
Water is living, active, abundant.
Water is scientifically argued as a basis for life and, as mankind understands it, necessary in order for life to continue.
This is a notable quote of Yeshua:
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Yeshua stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Yeshua had not yet been glorified.
- John 7: 37-39Yeshua promises the Spirit to live in and flow from believers in Him.
Yeshua quotes Ezekiel 47.
Yeshua is promising a spiritual reality that is described in the Old Testament in physical terms.
Spirit is invisible and immeasurable and interacts in life in such a unique and important way.
The ideas behind the term spirit speak to human perception and human understanding, as do all other ideas and definitions of words in all languages.
Using the evidence of prescience behind Scripture, we read the following description of what God is:
I Am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I Am Holy.
- Leviticus 11: 44aGod is Holy.
Yeshua describes God in a unique way:
God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in Truth.
- John 4: 24God is Spirit.
God is Holy, God is Spirit.
God is Holy Spirit and Yeshua describes this reality, in watery imagery, to be given to believers.
Water is comprised of H2O (a Hydrogen molecule bound to a Hydrogen molecule bound to a Oxygen molecule).
What H2O is... is invisible... much how the Spirit is invisible.
H2O is a molecular compound that is unseen by the naked eye.
Perhaps with certain microscopes an outline of molecules can be 'seen', but what is within them is unseen, and what is further within them is further unseen.
The language of mankind, using science and reason, can help explain what God did in Messiah according to His Spirit.
The Spirit is the Catalyst.
Catalyst - a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change ... a person or thing that precipitates an event.
H2O is perceived by humans in three 'ways' or 'states' or 'attributes' (or any term signifying its apparent reality presented to man).
H2O interacts, according to its own characteristics, in an intimate way with life.
The terms used to describe the way H2O is, are besides the fact that H2O exists in those ways.
The three observable ways of H2O:
Gas (invisible - vapor), liquid (visible - water), solid (visible - ice).
H2O does not change its fundamental reality despite going from gas to liquid to solid to liquid to gas.
Water / H2O continues as it transitions back and forth and beyond.
H2O does not 'die', it simply transcends one characteristic when transitioning to another.
Interestingly, one could ask: do the same two Hydrogen molecules always stay with the same Oxygen molecule?
Another question: if any one of the three ever do separate, do they ever meet again?
One issue with the physical example is that when Hydrogen or Oxygen is removed / separated, it cease being water / H2O.
Here is where the H2O example in describing God would cease to agree, because God is not divided... in other words: God does not 'lose' or 'break apart' its HHO reality.
I propose the arrival of Yeshua as Messiah was like Oxygen being revealed to mankind as always having existed in water.
Man realized water is made up of H2O, yet man has long been enjoying water's reality in his existence.
A very simple analogy would be: the Word became flesh and thus began to breathe air (Oxygen being necessary to liven blood in the human body).
Another H2O analogy would show Hydrogen (2) to be the Spirit mentioned in two ways and being identical to one another - united / duplicated / multiplied / one.
The Hydrogen molecule is like the Father.
The Oxygen molecule is like the Son.
The Hydrogen molecule is like the Holy Spirit.
Remember how God is Holy, God is Spirit (H2).
Going further.
The Hydrogen molecule is like the Father residing eternally in heaven on the throne.
The Hydrogen molecule is like the Holy Spirit, which is what God is, now residing in the believer according to God's promise to be with His children.
The Oxygen molecule is like the Son when H2O decided to walk the earth alongside its creation.
Considering all of life is sustained by water, and because of water, and that H2O has always existed and is the basis of life, then the Oxygen being 'revealed' was a special point in time; a special realization for mankind.
Speaking of the Son: when the body ceased needing Oxygen to liven the blood, it was similar to ice melting and becoming flowing water.
Consider when water and blood poured from Yeshua's heart when pierced.
The H2O reality continues to be the same - never changing.
This may help explain how although the Temple / flesh of Messiah 'died' according to this world (the physical), the Spirit and Word of God can not perish, but transcended the cup it resided in when the cup was broken.
Thus, the basis of H2O never changes (metaphorically a constant catalyst) although observably there seems to be 'change' according to human perception.
Regarding creation, consider the order that is observed when H2O becomes ice crystals.
Consider also the variety of designs that occur when snowflakes develop.
This is similar to the Spirit creating all things observable in the world to be recognized by mankind... according to God's order and design.
And this order and design works, like a magnificent machine that was set in motion long ago.
Consider how H2O funnels through the skies, rains down and runs through rivers, fills aquifers, absorbs necessary minerals, and then which feeds human and animal thirst while also infusing needed mineral nutrition.
Water is truly the basis through which life (human, animal, plant) exists.
Like the Spirit, water is a great catalyst.
Consider the fluid characteristic of H2O.
Can you hold it in your hand as you can the solid (snow / ice)?
Perhaps a bit, like a collection of drops in the 'cup' of your hand.
But it moves and changes shape according to its environment or, for example, the shape of an actual cup or a lake.
This is the Spirit living in the human being, or its activity when speaking through someone.
Consider the gas characteristic of H2O.
Water vapor is invisible, and is more abundant throughout the universe than liquid H2O.
Much how the greatness of God is more abundant than any other 'thing' throughout and beyond the universe.
When thinking about the varied characteristics of H2O in its varied states observed by man, and while always being H2O, man is granted a glimpse of what has been perceived and labeled 'trinity'.
The human term of trinity, and how certain terms are used to explain things unseen, even this article about water, should not be a reason to shut out what is written in God's testimony about Himself.
Doing so would be denying God living in you according to His Spirit as exemplified in Messiah.
Comments