According to the Bible, there are two realms in existence: the visible and the invisible.
Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
The visible realm is what we know as the natural realm, all that is physical and material. Here, we engage our five senses of what we can see, hear, smell, taste and feel. It is limited to what is finite and temporal.
The invisible realm consists of the Spirit of God and demonic spirits. It is impossible for humans to comprehend what they cannot see. Only God can reveal Himself to them through revelation, to those who come to believe in His existence through faith. His invisible kingdom is infinite, absolute, and eternal.
1 Corinthians 1:21 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Two Kingdoms
There are two kingdoms, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the world.
The Kingdom of God is ruled by God and His son Jesus Christ, and consists of the Holy Spirit, angels, seraphim and cherubim.
The kingdom of the world is ruled by Satan, and consists of demons, rebellious angels, the Anti-Christ, the False Prophet, the Beast, and the Dragon. Satan was given authority over all the kingdoms of the fallen world at the time of the original sin (Gen. 3). This incident has made us dull to the spiritual realities, but we intuitively know that God exists.
Psalm 103:19 “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”
John 18:36 “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
John 14:30 “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
Ephesians 2:2 “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,”
Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Luke 4:6 “And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.”
1 John 5:19 “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”
The Kingdom of God is the kingdom of eternal life; and the kingdom of the world is of eternal death.
The kingdom of God is characterized as being of life, light, peace, love, joy, truth, righteousness, purity and wisdom.
The kingdom of the world is characterized as being of death, darkness, unrest, evil, lies, self-righteous, perversion, corruption, and idolatry.
Romans 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Genesis 6:12 “So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”
Proverbs 4:19 “The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.”
Colossians 3:5 “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
As Christians, we are to live in the world but are no longer of the world (Jn. 17:15), we pray to God as instructed in the Lord’s prayer “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”1 (Matt. 6:10), looking forward to the day when all evil will be cast away from the righteous sons and daughters of God forever in the creation of a new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3:12-13; Rev. 21:1-27).
Clinton E. Arnold writes about the situation the Colossians were in concerning the awareness of there being two kingdoms: “They also need to endeavor earnestly to live in a way that is consonant with the character of their new heavenly life. They are citizens of two kingdoms. The temptation will be for them to fix their attention on the limitations and problems of life in the present evil age. Paul contended strongly that their focus of attention must be placed on the character of their new life and all the spiritual blessings, security and divine endowments that it brings. For Paul this focus is the secret for overcoming life’s obstacles in the here and now; it is the basis for Christian ethics.”2
Two Entities
There are two entities, the Spirit and the flesh.
Our will and emotions are either submissive to the Holy Spirit which is of the Divine nature or the fallen nature of the flesh, that which is carnal, continually influenced by the devil. The flesh is opposed to the ways of God, it is the center of pride and self-will, content on being independent of God. We are all born into the fallen nature of the flesh, naturally inherited through Adam who committed the original sin. By God’s grace we are able to be born-again of the Holy Spirit, being restored of having eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
1 Corinthians 15:44b-46 “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.”
Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
2 Peter 1:4 “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
Romans 8:5-8 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Two Value Systems
There are two value systems, Godly and worldly.
The ways of God are moral, law abiding, righteousness, all that is true, noble, just, pure, of love and virtue.
The ways of the world are immoral, lawlessness, self-righteousness, self-serving, self-gratifying, self this and self that, everything “self.”
John 14:23-24 “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”
Job 28:28 “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’”
Proverbs 2:10-15 “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, 11 discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, 12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, 13 from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked; 15 whose ways are crooked, and who are devious in their paths;”
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
2 Peter 2:9-10 “then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,”
Galatians 5:19-23 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
For more comprehensive information on this subject see the article “What are the heavenly places/realms?” https://www.gotquestions.org/heavenly-places-realms.html
| GOOD | EVIL | |
| Two Realms | Invisible Heavenly Spiritual | Visible Earthly Material |
| Two Kingdoms | God, Heaven | Satan, the World |
| Two Rulers | God, Jesus | Temporarily ruled by Demonic spirits and Satan since the Fall (Gen. 3) |
| Two Characteristics | Life Light Righteousness Eternal | Death Darkness Self-Righteousness Temporary |
| Two Entities | Spirit Divine Nature | Flesh Fallen Human Nature |
| Two Values | Godly Moral | Worldly Immoral |
Notes
1. See The Lord’s Prayer by Adolph Saphir for an excellent commentary of this prayer and a clear understanding of life. https://archive.org/details/lordsprayer00saph/page/n5/mode/2up
2. Powers of Darkness by Clinton E. Arnold, 1992 Inter Varsity Press, Pg. 146