Pneuma- The Higher Reality
(part 3)

The Spirits of Hades
(angels and demons)

“Spirits of Hades (angels and demons)” sounds like the title of a cheap horror flick, right? Well, maybe so, but it is never my intention to scare anyone with my writings. However, when I was younger, I found the thought of demons very frightening especially after watching movies like The Exorcist. The possibility of being taken over by demons was so terrifying to me that I would go to sleep hoping and praying that my bed didn’t start shaking. Well, my bed never shook and no demon ever possessed me. However, that doesn’t mean that these fears were all nonsense or in vain. Ironically, perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned was that living in fear is NOT the way to live. Not only does it just wear you out, but also it leads you farther from God. Yes, fear is certainly one of the greatest motivations, but its effectiveness depends greatly on ignorance. Typically, we fear what we don’t understand, which is obviously true in spiritual matters.

Regarding the supernatural, fear was often used (very effectively so) to motivate the masses. The fear of Satan, hell and eternal torment worked well to fill the church’s pews with parishioners and the coffers with coin. Even today many Christians are still being taught some of this distorted dogma regarding the spiritual realm. For example, the word “demon” still conjures up images of a hideous, evil creature that lives in an underworld where they are tormented for rejecting God; the movies have been full of this kind of description. And of course, angels are those human-like, winged creatures flying in the heavens; paintings and sculptures have attempted to capture them in vivid detail. What I have found is that some of these descriptive elements actually do contain a bit of merit, but first it might be best to begin with an overview of what exactly are angels and demons.

Like we humans, angels and demons are spiritual beings, but they are without our physical form. In the simplest terms, we could define them as spiritual messengers and promoters. One is promoting and delivering the truth; the other fosters and spreads deception. One encourages us to love; the other wants us to fear. One helps shepherd us into a higher life; the other entices us back into the darkness of death. In essence, angels are those that are doing God’s higher will while demons are those who resist. Even though these spiritual beings are working against each other, it is all part of God’s plan. And while it might seem that demons would be something to fear, but we should not because it is clear that none of them, angel or demon, is greater than the Son of God and His love for us!

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Readers of the Bible know that there are many references to angels in its pages like this one from Paul to the Romans. I like this passage because not only is it full of passion, but also with spiritual clues. In one very long sentence, there is a veritable buffet of spiritual truisms. Perhaps the most important message here is that above everything else we must keep in mind that God’s immeasurable love was and is expressed in Christ Jesus. Moreover, nothing and no one can separate us from that eternal bond of divine love. By overcoming the world and becoming God, Jesus has connected man with God, so that nothing on earth or in heaven has the authority to break this attachment.

Do you then see why we should not fear demons? Within this excerpt from Romans, Paul speaks of angels and demons, death and life, but explains that none of these can break the bond of God’s love! Thank God for the love found in Christ Jesus! He is the one who overcame Death, Hades and yes, even demons. He is the one who was made to be a “little lower” than the angels, but was then raised to the very throne of God. This all sounds so wonderful, but do we really understand what it means to be “lower” than the angels? For that matter, why did Jesus say that we will be like the angels of heaven after the resurrection? And what about the place called Hades? Isn’t this were the demons presently are? Well it should come as no surprise that the answers we seek are all found in and even constitute God’s spiritual matrix of life, of which we are part. In fact, our existence is really the quintessential element of this matrix and the key to unlocking its mysteries. In other words, we should come to see that man is not here for angels, but rather angels are here for man!

Now, as I have said before in other writings, we should not think of heaven as merely some immaculate, gated community with a pearly gate and a collection of mansions atop the clouds. Similarly, we should not swallow the myths and religious propaganda that hell (Hades) is a fiery torture chamber below the ground where sinners go after they die. Heaven and hell are both spiritual terms that refer to spiritual states of consciousness and existence. Heaven is said to be “on high”, not because it is above our heads, but rather because it is above the natural man’s awareness. In the same way, hell is as low as we choose it to go. We are here to make choices and to learn from these choices. So how far into the darkness of the void will spirits go to hide from God? So again, let’s make it perfectly clear; heaven and hell are spiritual states of existence. And to further this point, we need only to look to Jesus the Christ who brought heaven (the Kingdom of God) to earth. And this same Jesus is the one who descended into Hades that is the grave, the place of the dead, for the sole purpose to set the captives free (Ephesians 4:9). Yet, do all Christians realize that Jesus the Christ accomplished BOTH of these awesome deeds right here in THIS world simultaneously!

Yes, whether mankind knows it or not (and whether mankind likes it or not), many who have lived in this world did so in a state of spiritual death. While some are finally beginning to really wake up to our true life and identity, many are still living in a state of spiritual death. Making such a claim may sound like a contradiction to you, but it is no more a contradiction than when Jesus told some locals to “let the dead bury their own dead” (Luke 9:60). Herein the riddle of life is born, and the clue of who we are is given-- How does someone who is already dead bury another who is also dead? Well, it all depends on what it means to be “DEAD.” It should be obvious that Jesus’ life, thoughts and teachings were spiritual, not natural. This is why many become confused, and even today still do not fully comprehend his teachings.

It should be clear that Jesus was one who was alive in the spirit. Since he was truly “born of the spirit,” he looked around the world he saw many that were not alive to God as he was. So they were, in his eyes, spiritually dead. Now, in highest reality, spirit can never actually die; however, spirit can turn from its Source (God) and become weak, sick and even totally dormant. We even see this happen in nature when trees will go dormant for a season. Also consider that plants will turn their leaves to face the sun so they can absorb its life-giving energy. If they had the choice to turn away from their source of life, they too would experience what many humans are experiencing here in world called Hades. When the source of life is cut off, death is soon to follow. So, in that detestable spiritual state, mankind has turned its back on God and is considered dead to God (Romans 6:11, Colossians 2:13).

It is important to understand this concept of being dead because Hades is the place of the dead. It goes to figure that if Jesus said we were dead then he was in the place of the dead, a spiritual graveyard. Christ has come to resurrect us! As I have written about many times, God is transforming our hell into His heaven. Our world has essentially then become the spiritual battleground, and we are right in the middle. Most every Christian is taught that angels are the creatures of heaven while demons are the inhabitants of hell. However, both of these classes of spiritual beings are found in the same world as man.

For those of you who may still doubt that this world is hell (Hades), I make this challenge. Offer me just a single attribute that is said to be found in hell that is NOT found here in this world, and I will recant. Surely if this world was not Hades then surely there would be at least one element showing this. However, you find as I did that Satan, evil spirits, darkness, demons, weeping, gnashing of teeth, suffering and the like are ALL found in THIS world. Obviously, it is not a coincidence that those who do not seek God in their lives are suffering the most. The suffering of a martyr results in peace, but the suffering of the lost is a lesson in futility. Yes, this world is a home for the countless wayward spirits of mankind. Consider this passage.

Psalm 78:7
Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. 8 They would not be like their forefathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

Who here living on the earth has been unfaithful to God? Okay, you can all put your hands down now! Yes, we are all “spirits” because our Father is SPIRIT. And yes, we have been unfaithful to Him because that is what children do before they learn, mature and become qualified adults. Yes, we are, in fact, spirits, but then you may be asking, “What are angels?” “Are not the angels, fallen or not, also spirits from God?” Well, for some answers to these questions let’s take a look into the letter that was written to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 1-

As fate would have it, the opening chapter of Hebrews is full of useful information concerning angels, God, His Son and His perfect plan of creation. While it remains unclear who was the actual author of this letter, I believe that it was likely written by Paul (or one of his close associates) because it resonates many of the spiritual truths he taught in that day. Obviously, it was someone who had considerable knowledge of Judaism and the hierarchy of God. Perhaps the most fundamental base for any truth seeker is realizing that everything stems from God through the Son. God and His Kingdom are like an all-encompassing tree of life from which all spirit and all creation have come forth. The mountain of Truth sits on this foundation.

Hebrews 1:1
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. ³The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Not only are these words powerful, but they are also meaningful pearls of truth. We first read that God (the Father) speaks to us in many ways, but the latest and BEST way is through Christ (the Son) who is our true self. For ages and ages, God spoke to us via the Holy Spirit of the earth, but we are now able to hear Christ within our being. This should be well understood by Christians, but I am afraid that it isn’t because we must be clear that this is not referring to Jesus, the son of man. Instead it was the Spirit of Christ, as described in 1 Peter 1:11, who has been leading man to his higher life and salvation. So long before the MAN Jesus was born, the SPIRIT of Christ existed, which also means that the only begotten Son of God is SPIRIT and that Jesus was the first (but not the last!) embodiment of a fully mature anointed Son of God. Even today, many are being called to become what Jesus was and is.

To further the above point, we next read that the SPIRIT of Christ is the exact radiance of God and sustains all things created, which He (the Son) created. The relationship and roles between God (Father) and the Word (Son) are such important truths to grasp if we are ever to understand our purpose in life. Since I have already covered this subject in some detail in other writings such as God Is- Everything Else Isn’t and Born of the Spirit, I will not delve into much depth here. Suffice it to say that the Son of God created the universe and is the sole force holding it all together for the purpose of bringing spirit higher and into God-consciousness.

Finally, we are reminded that Christ is the one, and only one, who purifies us of our sin. By bringing our minds (souls) into Christ-consciousness, we become sinless and alive in the eyes of God. Not only are we then awake and active as the Body of Christ, we are a true son of God. Leading by example, Jesus the Christ became the sacrificial lamb of mankind thereby fulfilling prophecy and God’s Law. It is crucial to understand though that the actual sacrifice of God’s Son (Word) was done at the dawn of creation when the Word gave His life up to the void and into creation. Through creation came the creature called man who would resurrect the Spirit of Christ from the grave. Without any doubt, Jesus was the first of many to be resurrected by the power of the Word, and now sits at the right hand of God as the perfect image of God. In other words, Jesus has fulfilled the very purpose of man’s existence- to be the image of God and radiate His glory.

Hebrews 1:4
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. ⁵For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?

Typically, angels are regarded as God’s top ambassadors sent to earth to carry out His will. However, we read in this next passage that Jesus became superior to the angels. This is significant because a man is considered to be a creature “lower” than an angel. This point is corroborated by the fact that Jesus was made human like us and therefore a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7, 9). Like all of us spirits in the flesh, Jesus came into this world born a human being. He was a man exactly like us in every way except one; he was the sinless man chosen by God to reveal Christ to the world. In other words, he came into this world lower than the angels and only LATER through his obedience and suffering did he attain a status superior to the angels. Also, this passage affirms that Jesus BECAME the Son of God and was not born with this spiritual status. Being our leader and brother, we, like Jesus, need to accept our true identity. Jesus was exactly like us, and we are called by God to be exactly like him. Yes, we too shall overcome Hades and death by the power of the Spirit of Christ! And when we do, we are new creations- greater than the angels. Then it can be said that angels are superior to humans, and any in Christ are superior to the angels. So by understanding the spiritual hierarchy established here, we are given an important clue about who, and what, angels actually are.

When most are asked to describe what an angel is, beings with very humanlike characteristics usually come to mind. Of course, we have numerous examples in the Bible of angels speaking, acting and even looking like humans. An ancient “proverb” says that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, then it is probably a duck! So yes, what I am saying is that angelic beings are the spiritual equivalents of us human beings, less the physical body of course. We all begin as spirit in heaven. Some come into this world to live a life in the flesh while others, the angels, are sent here to help carry out God’s will. Now, because angels have no physical form, they are not as constrained as we are by the material, lower world. Human beings, on the other hand, are spirits held down to the earth by, what could be called, these cages of flesh. So, in this sense then, it is easy to see why humans are considered to be LOWER than those who are free.

So let’s see if we can bring all of this together by getting back to Jesus who was transformed from sub-angelic to supra-angelic status. How did a lowly human rise above the angels of heaven? Well, I think it may be first helpful to understand that the spirit of Jesus incarnated into this world like us, but according to the will and plan of God he was here to do something that had never been done. It is written that he came DOWN here into Hades to kick Satan’s butt and then takes the keys of this spiritual prison with him! For this reason alone, Jesus is Lord! He was the first of us to come into this world a man and overcome it as the Christ! While all throughout the spiritual history of mankind, angels have been helping us, none of them could ever save us- enter the savior, Jesus! He was made lower than the angels (human), and then became greater than the angels (Christ)! Halleluiah!

Hebrews 1:6
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." ⁷In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants, flames of fire." ⁸But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. ⁹You d righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

Here, we read that Jesus was the “firstborn,” which simply means the first to be born of the spirit (John 1:13, John 3:8) and to rise from the spiritually dead (Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:18). All of God’s angels should worship him- that includes you too! The author next compares angels to the Son of God by showing us that angels are God’s “servants,” and this makes perfect sense. Just as the prophets of God were also His servants on earth so are the angels His prophets without flesh. Next we are told that Jesus has been set above his “companions,” which could be referring to the apostles, but also the angels. Either way, he was separated from all other men and angels because he was chosen by God and ANOINTED. Any in the Body of Christ are also anointed with God’s spirit of sonship. Next, we get the summation of this discourse about angels.

Hebrews 1:10
He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. ¹¹They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. ¹²You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed.  But you remain the same, and your years will never end." ¹³To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? ¹⁴Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

We are again reminded that the Son created all the earth and all the “heavens,” but they are only temporary and will all be dissolved (or rolled up) in the end. So, like everything in the universe, this world is only a manifestation of spirit. A cloud is only water and can evaporate right before your eyes when the water goes back into the higher state of vapor. Spirit works in much the same way because all of our present reality is created, animated and sustained by the spirit of the Word- the Son of God. Once the Son has overcome all God’s enemies, the Kingdom will be handed over to the Father and the manifestation of creation will end.

Finally, the writer asks, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” That may be one of the most concise definitions of what an angel is. They are ministering spirits sent to serve those seeking to inherit salvation. Again, they are spirits like us, but they come into this world without actual physical form though they can manifest a physical presence perhaps from a past life persona. Again, angels are humans out of their skin, and Jesus taught that we will be just like them in heaven. Being without physical form, angels are neither male nor female and therefore do not bond with each other in matrimony like humans. In a spiritual sense, all who are led by the spirit are “male,” and this idea is supported when Paul speaks of the “sons of God” coming into maturity. Do not be foolish! Paul was not speaking of only the people with penises! The sons of God are those who are spirit-dominated, spirit-led and spirit-fed!

Now, all of this talk about the “sons of God” does bring up a very important point. As we have gathered from the first chapter of Hebrews, angels CANNOT attain the title “son of God.” This title was for Jesus and all (humans) that follow him into the Spirit of Christ, which, of course, is the spirit of sonship with God. So obviously, the question we are faced with is why can’t angels, who are spirit, become sons of God? It would seem that because they are spirit and in heaven that they are already sons of God in a sense, but there is more to this divine distinction than just being a spiritual being. For the answer we must now go a little deeper and explore the difference between men and angels and between angels and demons.

The Flyers vs. the Flightless Ones-

Have you ever had a dream where you were flying freely above the world like a bird in the sky? I have had this pleasure on many occasions, and it is one of the most wonderful feelings. Sometimes I am flying as high as I desire while other times I am gliding just above the surface. If I believed these were merely dreams, I would wake up feeling envious for those feathered creatures of the air. Instead, I am convinced that these imagings of flight (and even of falling) carry with them a deeper, spiritual significance. Dreams are the voyages of a free-flying soul. Where will the soul go if she could go anywhere or do anything? Will she fall or fly? In the divine dream, which is creation and our world, the ability to fly (spiritually) is predicated upon two main factors- strength/maturity of the spirit and weight/willingness of the soul. And it is this ability to fly above the world that separates angels from demons and even angels from men.

While teaching the existence of angels is not unique to Christianity, it has produced the most vivid and detailed depictions of these heavenly creatures. Many times God’s cherubim are portrayed as being children and other times they are adult celestial beings of white light, fully equipped with wings. Like many other religious symbols that have stood the test of time, there seems to always be at least a grain of truth embedded in the folklore. We saw how this was true earlier in the story of Adam and Eve, and I think this is certainly true with regards to angels. It may be fairly obvious why angels are sometimes seen as children. These once human children must have passed while in a state of grace. They come to earth in a period between incarnations for the sake of the Kingdom. This may mean learning a lesson or bringing a message.

As for the wings seen to be sprouting from the shoulders of angels, we shouldn’t think too literally here- a common mistake of the masses in spiritual matters. Instead, we should rather think of angels as spiritual creatures who are free to travel between different spiritual realms, say heaven and hell. Being in God’s good favor, angels are the ones who have retained the power and even privilege of flight. They are God’s messengers and ambassadors who translate from the higher dimension of heaven to lower dimension of the physical world. On the other hand, Satan’s messengers are not so free to travel because they have been grounded in the lowest realm, which we call the world and they know as hell. While most of humanity was and still is nearly oblivious to this hell that surrounds and even at times permeates them, Jesus had an unequaled vision and acumen of the spiritual realm. Throughout the New Testament writings, we read of his encounters with evil spirits and demons that worked in accord with Satan. Here is one such passage.

Mark 5:11
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

In the above passage, we get the sense that an evil spirit and demon are one in the same, but like the distinction between rectangles and squares, there is a subtle difference between them. Evil (also called unclean, unholy) spirits could be likened to rectangles because they include ALL of the spirits opposing the Kingdom of God. To be a demon of this world, however, requires that evil spirit has a higher level of consciousness like that of human beings. Human beings separate themselves from the rest of the animal kingdom in the same way. So this means that demons separate themselves from other evil spirits by their higher ability to reason and communicate, as they clearly did with Jesus. Indeed, they speak as if they were once human, which is expressed in this passage from Paul.

1 Timothy 4:1
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Again, both evil spirits and demons stand in opposition to God’s higher will, but notice the difference revealed in this letter to Timothy. Deceiving spirits can influence us away from God but demons are actually TEACHING. This again reaffirms that a demon is a more “advanced” kind of evil spirit who is capable of communicating with humans in either direct or indirect ways. This should be no surprise because demons are the spirit/soul (spiritual self) of human beings who have stood in opposition to the coming of God’s Kingdom on earth. In essence, demons are those fallen angels who have been grounded by God and sent here to be punished in this lower world. They have no “wings” to carry them back into heaven- that higher state of existence. Like all who have turned away from God, these unclean, disembodied spirits are being imprisoned here in Hades.

While the New Testament writings only speak of those demons that cannot be seen, I am quite sure that there are also demons walking in the flesh. They are called evil, vile and often violent men. We should keep in mind that the word “evil” of the New Testament writings really means “unclean” and is translated as such in many Bibles when referring to spirits. Jesus even called his disciples evil (Luke 11:13), which is only saying that they were not holy- they were not Christ. Like I have discussed before, to actually define what is holy/unholy, clean/unclean or good/evil is relative to our level of consciousness. We can only know what we can know- a two year old child may be able to count to ten, but he cannot solve a quadratic equation. And we can only do what we can do. God requires more from those who have more. So instead of this being a black and white issue, many are left living in the gray. How many of you are clean, holy and good spirits? Jesus proclaimed that the Pharisees were following their father the devil and called Peter, his beloved disciple, Satan. So, you see; there are more “evil spirits” than we care to realize. Evil or not, all spirits are from God and will be saved (raised from hell) by the saving power of Christ. I know that it may seem that some are so evil that they are beyond reconciliation, but this is simply impossible. We all get what we deserve and are ultimately responsible for the choices we make.

Speaking of those evil demons in the flesh, there was a gruesome story in my local news recently about a man who raped, bound and then burned a woman alive in her own home. She initially lived through this horrific ordeal, but then later passed away because of an infection. Now, there is absolutely no doubt that this man is a demon in the flesh. His spirit is dark and soul is heavy and far from God. He is truly in hell and trying to keep others down with him because, as they say, “Misery loves company.” The laws of man have placed this man in prison for the rest of his natural life, but God’s karmic law will make this man pay a much higher price. The only way we end this seemingly endless cycle of suffering is through love. As Jesus showed us in the most graphic way, we must love and forgive as God does. We must turn the cheek and love those who hate us. Truly, good is the only way to overcome evil.

So, where does all of this leave us? Well, everyone in this world, including the angels and demons, are here to make choices and then learn from them. Again, while we try to make things seem black and white, life is mostly various shadows of gray. Good and evil are merely words and the difference between angels and demons can be a single choice. Obviously, there are both humans and demons alike that tend to refuse God’s ways to a higher life because they are simply ignorant and don’t know any better-- “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” Yes, there are some who are simply deceived. However, there are also those who are not so innocent because they are knowingly stubborn, prideful or just plain rebellious to the will of God.

I think many demons are in this world because they desire to be. They love this world more than God and would rather be flesh than spirit. Of course, this creates a real problem for those demons who desire to have physical form. Being homeless (without a body), they may seek a “dwelling” to break into and call their own. In some extreme cases, they can even become so possessive of that dwelling that they take control over the mind (soul) while the spirit of the one is asleep or weak.

Luke 11:21
"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils. 23 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters." 24 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."

What do you suppose is the moral of this parable? Well first of all, I don’t believe this is merely a parable. Instead, this story states the reality of hell. Unclean (unholy) spirits roam this “arid place” (which is a world lacking grace) seeking a place to live. When they cannot find any other being to crawl into, they will likely return to where they once called home. This is why our spirits must be awake and strong so that “someone stronger” cannot come and overpower us thereby removing our armor. Of course, Paul told us what our “armor” is in Ephesians 6:11-18. Once these protections are removed or compromised, those unclean, spiritual creatures will seek to enter- much like vermin scurrying into a house before winter. To make matters worse, the one that was driven out before knows his way back in and will likely bring others with him! This situation may sound a bit grave, but it isn’t. It is life. In life, we get sick from time to time- both naturally and spiritually. Most will take appropriate measures to ensure good physical health, but because they are so focused on the flesh, do little to improve their spiritual health. Man’s spirit needs what everything else in life does- food and a safe environment to mature. Its food is the will of God and its safe place is in the anointing water of Truth (in Christ). In this state, no harm can come upon our spirit and our whole being will be healthy.

It is important to understand that it really makes no difference to the disembodied spirits of this world whether we believe in their existence or not. While true possession of one’s being is rare, evil spirits will, at the very least, attempt to influence us because they are fulfilling a purpose. Just as every creature in the natural world serves its purpose, so too do the spirits here in the darker chambers of Hades. We need only to look at nature and see the complex matrix of life. This same kind of matrix also exists by the will of God on a spiritual level for a more divine purpose. God desires purity, and to achieve this requires testing, refining and a kind of holy fire that no man can bear. This is why we must be more than men, more than human. Yes, this world has been Hades for the spirits of mankind, but clearly, hell is not all suffering and evil. In fact, through those living in Christ, God is transforming hell into heaven! So, while it is true that many in Hades are still being imprisoned and punished for their sins, it is not true of all. More and more souls are filled with the desire to build the Kingdom of God!

Certainly, Jesus was right; this world is a spiritual graveyard for much of mankind. Here the dead bury the dead. Even so, an individual can find a level of peace here as plainly described by Jesus in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Even though Lazarus was in Hades with the rich man, he was at peace in the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22). While he could see the rich man there on the other side, Lazarus was not in the same spiritual state. As we read in the parable, the rich man looked UP to see where Lazarus was! So in a spiritual way, Lazarus was above the pain and suffering of hell. Any who seek God and His ways will find the same relief from the cares and trials of the world. On the other hand, the more one rejects God and His truth, the lower, darker and more painful this one’s hell becomes. So, it should be clear that the main purpose of Hades is to teach us, qualify us, and bring us into perfection. To this end, some are here to serve while others are here to teach. Contrary to traditional teachings, we should not think that Hades is only pain and suffering. Instead, see hell as something for the sons of God to overcome and destroy Hades! Don’t you see that the Spirit of Christ is doing this everywhere and everyday?

Sons in the Making-

At this moment in time, we come to the very purpose of man’s existence. We are learning that all of life (consciousness) centers on the Son of God and is for the Son of God. Yes, the Spirit of Christ is the center of consciousness, and through this same Spirit that led Jesus (the first Son of God) will come ALL the sons of God. Only by lifting, qualifying and finally joining our spirit with the Spirit of Christ will we become the heirs of God, as our fellow brother Jesus did. To recap, we know that angels are the flyers and demons are the flightless, but then what is man? In a sense, man can be either because we come here to make the choice. If we live by the spirit, we learn how to fly. But if we live by the flesh, we remain grounded to the world. However, our resurrection from hell depends on us learning to fly in order to overcome the “pull” of the world. Jesus, the one of strong spirit, showed us how, and then told us to follow him. We follow Jesus by living by the spirit and lifting our soul off the ground and out of hell. And how did he accomplish this? He did it by maturing in spirit and soul (Luke 2:52) and by doing God’s will on earth (John 4:34).

And this is how men and angels differ-- Angels come into the world to help us because we are God’s sons in the making. Angels are God’s servants promoting the coming Kingdom, which is, in essence, very similar to the man, John the Baptist. He was a great man, but he was called to be a servant and not a son. While many religious souls of the world are still in the role of servants, some are here to be more than that! We are here to become the sons of God (Romans 8:14, 19)! Again, unlike man, angels cannot obtain the title of “sons of God” anymore than a seed can sprout while floating in the air. That is why we come into this world to be planted like seeds, yes the seeds of God sown in the darkness of the world. There is only one way to become a son of God, which Jesus showed us. We must become human- the Word became flesh. By living as a creature of flesh in the lowest dimension of life, we are tested and qualified for the next (higher) dimension of existence. As our spiritual leader and Lord, Jesus showed us that we all must go through hell before entering heaven.

So, here is where we are. And while in this polarized world of duality, man has an important choice- to fly or not to fly. Sometimes while learning to fly (in the spirit) we feel like we are gliding above the cares of the world with very little friction (like in my dreams). Then upon looking down we realize that we are not as high as we thought we were- oh yes, spiritual pride can affect us all! Following our innate desire to ascend higher, some will choose to climb up the mountain of Truth. While growing in the knowledge of God will get us “higher,” it does not teach us to fly. However, it does definitely prepare a platform for us. Even so, we still have to take that leap of faith and believe we can fly with unseen wings above the world. Have you heard that actually walking the path is different than knowing the path? It is true. To actually learn to walk, or in this case fly, takes time via our many lives in this world. In every life, we grow stronger, wiser and closer to the goal of life- entering the Kingdom of God!

Oh yes, my fellow siblings, an unprecedented joy fills the hearts of the children of God upon receiving the knowledge that the Kingdom of God is coming to destroy the darkness of Hades and the sting of death! God’s Kingdom is constructed in much the same way as how bees work to build their honeycomb. We come into this world of God to collect nectar, which are the “sweet” truths of higher consciousness. Then when God calls us back out of the world, our spirits return to heaven with the wisdom of our experiences and love of our good deeds. After depositing our riches in heaven, we then may return again, but we are that much stronger, wiser and more able to overcome the snares of Satan.

Satan-

Well, I would be remiss not to consider our great adversary here. However, this time around I won’t go into any great details because I have written extensively about this powerful entity in Hell Revisited, Satan Revealed. To set the record straight, Satan is not a fallen angel as many have been taught. However, that serpent of ancient times has always been in the business of leading them astray. Satan is an opposing force and not an angel. It is apparent that the natural mind of man is always trying to quantify and even personify what it cannot understand. This is why God was often times pictured as a wise, grey-haired old man. Yes, we have all seen this classic picture of a rather stern looking man sitting on a throne atop the clouds adorning in a white robe. Sometimes this picture portrays this man-God reaching out His hand and using His finger to initiate the spark of life. This is what the mind of man does; it tries to picture that which is unseen. Well, in the same way, Satan has also been given a more physical, descriptive form that the natural mind can grasp. In the minds of many, Satan is seen as an ugly, large, red and powerful beast whose wicked smile emanates pure evil. Yes, that is what some have imagined, but the truth is that Satan is not a man, an angel or a single being. What we do know is that he is a legion (Mark 5:10), an adversary (Matthew 16:23, 1 Peter 5:8) and a force living in the darkness of the world (Ephesians 6:12, John 12:31).

There is another misconception about the devil. Now, while it is true that Satan is the leader of the anti-Kingdom movement on earth, he is not actually anti-God. This small but important distinction must be understood if one is to acknowledge the sovereignty of God. In the book of Job, Satan is portrayed as working in accord with God’s will to test that man of strong faith. Most should know that the literal translation of the word “Satan” is “adversary,” which is found in Bibles such as Young’s Literal Translation. Any truth seeker (finder) should acknowledge that Satan’s power and purpose have come from God for the sake of RESISTANCE. Satan isn’t God’s mistake or His top angel gone bad. You see, God doesn’t make mistakes. But if God’s love is the force pulling us into heaven, then Satan’s power is the gravity trying to hold us down. We read in the New Testament that Satan is a lion that roams the earth seeking to devour the spiritually weak.

Because of this, some think of Satan as the direct opposite of Christ, but remember, God only has ONE Son my friends. There is no evil twin or opposite of Christ the King! However, Satan does have a spiritual antipode, so to speak! Consider this. We know that, while the devil is roaming the world seeking to bring us down, the Holy Spirit of God is also searching the earth for all who are lost, suffering and desire the peace of God. So you see; Satan and the Holy Spirit are the “forces” who are diametrically opposed in this lowest and bi-polar world. Look around. It should be obvious that this world (Hades) is the world of duality, of good and evil, the world of contrast, the world of opposites. Only in this environment of contrast can we truly learn what is best: love or hate, joy or sorrow, selflessness or selfishness, feast or famine and, of course, God or Satan. We also come to discover that there is one who gathers and one who scatters. So then, it should be clear that in our world of duality the Holy Spirit is our helper while Satan, by God’s design, is our hinderer. The choice of who to follow is ours- or is it?

Limitations of Free Will-

Here’s another oxymoron for you to ponder in your spare time! Oxymoron or not, there are limitations to that man-made notion of “free will.” Surely, the free will debate is as old as man’s first thought of God and will undoubtedly continue in the ages to come. And yet, if God IS God then God is sovereign (having supreme authority). And if this be true, then our free will is, by definition, null and void. In simpler terms, ultimately in the battle of wills we can only come in second place to an Almighty God. Our will is not going to be done on earth as we would like it to be neither will it be done in heaven. It is God’s will that WILL be done because God is God. The irony of free will is that God accomplishes His will, not by forcing us, but rather by becoming us! What a masterful and infallible plan it is! You see; God has it all worked out! Either we can choose to do our own thing, which means suffering and remaining apart from Him (consciously) in hell. Or we can accept our true and higher life. We can accept that God, who lives in us and gives us life, desires us to return with Him in heaven. We can choose to suffer or we can choose to rest in eternal peace. The choice seems easy on paper, but here in the dark deceptions of the material world many are frozen by fear and are slow to make the choice.

In the Matrix movies, Neo finds out that he didn’t come into the matrix to make a choice because the choice has already been made. His true purpose was to come and understand WHY he made the choice. I have always thought that this movie has a lot of wisdom to offer. The world, as the vast majority of humanity knows it, is an illusion. By accepting the information of our natural senses only, we become convinced that the physical world is the only reality. Jesus witnessed and experienced a different reality. In the highest sense of reality, only what is eternal is real. This list is very small because it only means God is real. So, what “reality” was there then before the creation of the physical world? What a conundrum! Reality is relative. It is relative to our awareness, our consciousness. The same can be said about the notion of free will. It is free to a point, but there are always limits for anyone less than God.

Consider man before “Adam and Eve” came on the scene. Man was more like the other beasts of the earth- living by his natural instincts. Yet, upon that moment of self realization, he started using his own knowledge to make his own choices. Thus, free will, or should I say the illusion of free will, was born. Time passed and man found out that he couldn’t do as he wanted- down came the commandments, the Law. Man became aware of God’s Law through his higher level of awareness/consciousness. Time went on and along came a man named Jesus of Nazareth. Because of his unparalleled high spiritual acumen, he came to realize that exercising his own will was not an option for one who would be the Son of God on earth. To be the image of God, you have to BE God! If we are to truly reflect the glory of God, then like an image in a mirror we only do what we see God do.

What makes this all rather confusing for some is that as our old, natural self dies, our will and desires become exactly like God’s! Each time Jesus said, “Not my will, but your will be done,” he was putting to death his lower, natural desires and accepting his higher, spiritual desires. The more we do this the more we become one with God. This is because of our innately divine nature given by our Father seeks to be free and even sovereign. We cannot cease our inner desire that wants to be God. This desire coupled with the carnal mind is marriage that ends in death, but joined with a pure and holy mind it becomes our eternal life. Yes, our destiny and birthright is to be exactly like God (Ephesians 3:19, 4:13). There is no doubt then that our spirit desires to be free and will practice this from time to time. However, our level of “free will” is always limited to the level of our spirit’s maturity and purpose. We know that there is a spirit (life, energy) in an atom, but this spirit is only granted a very limited element of choice. The “higher” or greater a spirit grows, the more freedom or free will it is given. While all spirits will eventually be free like a breath blowing in the wind, there are some spirits of the earth that are not free. Some live in the flesh while others are homeless spirits clinging to the material world.

A Ghost Story-

Not too long ago, my path happened to cross that of a very decent young man named Bret. You could say he was a “friend of a friend” who was helping my brother-in-law and I move my ailing mother-in-law. After finishing by midday, I invited to buy him lunch because he was absolutely not going to take any money for helping us. My brother-in-law had told me several days earlier that Bret had quite a ghost story, but now, while eating lunch, I had the chance to hear the account directly from the witness. When I brought the subject up during our lunch, he was a little reluctant to discuss it because he thought I, like some others, would think he was crazy. After some assurance from me, he began to tell me all about his ghost story. I would say that his testimony was not only credible, but also irrefutable. After that day, I met him on several other later occasions, which allowed me to really evaluate him and question him again about some of the questions that I had. After all I had gathered, I could only conclude he was as sincere, honest and sane as any man I had ever met. Here then is this young man’s ghost story.

It all began when Bret and his fiancé (who I also met and talked to on later occasions) purchased and then moved into this modest house in the older part of town. This house was like a lot of starter homes- fairly small, simple and apparently built in the 1960s. What they discovered later is that they were the fourth engaged couple to move into this house, and would soon be the fourth to move out! The things he described happening brought back images from the movie Poltergeist, but Steven Spielberg wasn’t there making up this story. Similar to what happened in the movie, Bret told me that their lights would turn on and off seemingly by themselves. Like most rational people, he attributed these odd incidents to some sort of electrical problem. Not only were the lights on the blink, but doorbell would also ring (by itself) from time to time. Well naturally, they had the lights and wiring checked out by an electrician, but everything was fine- with the wires that is. These electrical disturbances would hardly be enough to convince them that anything supernatural was happening, but then he told me of the more disturbing phenomena.

Not too long after they moved in, they were lying in their bed one night when he and his future wife started hearing a loud pounding. He said that it sounded like the source of this very loud noise was right there inside the bedroom with them or possibly just on the other side. But when Bret turned on the lights and checked there was nobody and apparently nothing there. He described it as if someone was banging a small sledge hammer on the wall. He said this pounding sound continued and was so loud that his wife tried to cover her head with the pillow to drown out the sound. Even after this latest strange occurrence, they both remained skeptical to the notion that they moved in to a haunted house. They thought there had to be a logical and physical explanation for all that was happening. Perhaps the water pipes in the wall were banging. However, if no water was being used at that time and if the wall where the noise was emanating had no pipes, logic and reason seemed to be running out of answers.

Bret went on to tell me that nearly everyday something weird would happen. They would find doors and drawers open upon entering a room. There were the lights, doorbell and other unexplained sounds. And then once (and only once) something strange happened when they went downstairs. They had been in their basement before many times, but then one time they distinctly smelled cigar smoke. Bret was already down there and smelled it first. He then called his wife to come down. He made sure not to say a word to her about the smoke he smelled. He then asked her, “Do you smell anything?” Well, she also smelled the pungent, yet unseen, cigar smoke. The smell was strong, as if someone was right there smoking in the room with them. Now, let’s make it perfectly clear that this smell was never there when they moved in and no one had smoked in their house since they moved in. This was just another one of those eerie incidents.

As time went on, the culmination of these events started to wear on them especially after one of the more chilling events happened. One night when Bret’s fiancé was alone in bed when she felt an actual weight (presence) sit on the edge of the bed. There was absolutely no other person in the house or room that night, but she could feel the covers tighten and pull down away from her. Needless to say, she was very freaked out because her husband Bret was not there at that time, but apparently someone or something was! After this, they were convinced that the house was being haunted by a spirit that didn’t want them there. So, they decided to move out just like the many other couples before them.

That’s right. Remember that I said there were three other couples that lived there before them? One day it happened that their next-door neighbor asked them if they had noticed anything “strange” while living there. This is when they found out that they were not the first to be haunted. After speaking with this man who had lived in the area for a long time, their suspicions were confirmed; there was a ghost staying in that house. They found out through this neighbor that the house was sold three previous times to three other couples before them. And what was even more incredible was that each of these couples was engaged to be married when they moved in! What are the odds? But wait there is more to this story!

The neighbor went on to tell them that in every couple that moved into that house one of the partners had developed a serious medical condition. In fact, of the three couples to move in before Bret and his wife, two individuals actually died, which forced the other partner to move out. Even though all the couples were relatively young, he said that one died from a heart attack while another died of lung cancer. This information shook Bret right to the bone because he had also had health problems develop after moving there. While in the house, Bret came to the conclusion that there was indeed a spirit and this spirit didn’t care for him very much. You see; Bret had a history of some minor kidney problems, but it had never gotten serious until they lived in this house. This was all they could take. The jealous ghost had again won and reclaimed his squatter’s rights. So, Bret and his wife moved out after less than two years of living there with the angry ghost. After moving out, Bret’s kidney problems subsided, but the memories from that haunted house remain very vivid in his mind.

After some investigation, Bret found by speaking to another previous owner of the house that the original owner of this house was into the occult and psychic activities. This fact tells me that he was likely a strong, but apparently wayward, spirit. Now, no one actually could say if this original owner of the house actually died there or if some heinous crime was committed there. Either way, they were just relieved to be gone. Finally, as they were showing the house to a potential buyer, they walked passed an open door and in the room was a rocking chair rocking- by itself. It was as if Casper, the not so friendly ghost, was going to have the first and last laugh. And oh, by the way, as fate would have it, Bret found out that the next owners of his house were, of course, another couple engaged to be married. Good luck to them!

The Existence of Ethereal Entities -

Well, some would say Bret’s story is frightening while others might find it enlightening. Still others would say it is ridiculous because they don’t believe in ghosts. These seemingly rational souls say it would be superstitious or just plain ignorant to believe in the existence of such unseen entities. Yet, how could any calling them self a “Christian” not believe in those disembodied spirits and beings without form? Spirits living among us have been part of every religion known to man including the culture and life of Jesus.

Mark 3:11
Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."

Clearly, the presence of Jesus’ spirit (the Christ, God’s Word) had a much stronger effect on the rogue spirits of the world. It would seem that with passages such as this one, the existence of spirits without bodies would be an accepted truth especially for Christians. We read that Jesus spoke about them and to them, yet many do not believe in ghosts. Perhaps they don’t believe that these “unclean spirits” Jesus spoke to were in any way human. Yet, these are the same ones who do not even know that they are spirit. Yes, this is a problem facing many Christians today; they see themselves as flesh, not spirit. In the same manner, some do not believe in ghosts because they are rarely seen and cannot be scientifically measured- at least not yet. For the natural mind, it always goes back to what they can sense, see or measure. Even so, I know that every truth that science uncovers is helping to lead us closer to God, who is the source of all truth. Contrary to scientific truths, I believe the evidence that spirits live among us here is overwhelming.

When it comes to the matter of proof, the crux of the problem is that, by their very nature, spirits are invisible; they are ethereal. Occasionally, a spirit will manifest itself in what appears to be a bodily form, but the majority of evidence does not come from our sight or our taste, but rather from our other three senses. I found this fact very interesting if not enlightening. In many cases, the presence of spirits comes by way of feeling, hearing and even smelling, which is, by the way, considered the most primitive our natural senses. What is truly enlightening is that all of these are senses of the air! Oh yes, spirits have a much easier time communicating through that invisible medium. In the young couple’s ghost story, they both smelled cigar smoke as if a smoker was right there in the room. One day it was there; the next day it was gone. They also heard banging on the walls. There was no one physically hitting the wall because sound is merely waves of energy moving the air. Finally, many times encounters with spirits, especially angry ones, will create a sensation of coldness. Again, this is a manipulation of the air. Another way spirits can communicate with us is through the EMF- electro magnetic field. I think this higher form of energy is closer to the spiritual plane and is then easier for them to translate into and then manipulate it. I say this from a recent experience I had.

This past year my mother-in-law passed away. During her last couple of days at the Hospice center, there was unusually “electrical activities” regarding the lights above her bed. The ladies who worked there sincerely believed that spirits often came to visit those who were soon to pass on and into their realm. It came to pass that two nights before she passed away, my mother-in-law was speaking and reaching out to someone unseen, as if she was hallucinating. However, the lights going on by themselves were certainly no hallucination, and this was not the only time that lights came on by themselves. You see; the evening after her wake, her son and I returned to my house and walked into the kitchen like we always do when coming home. Well, I walked in and turned on the lights like usual, but a few moments later the lights flickered off and on. This event would not seem too unusual, but it was about the timing. We had just gotten back from the wake. And this kind of thing had never happened before, and it has never happened since. I believe that those lights were being altered by the spirit in this world- possibly my mother-in-laws. Then it happened that many months later, I was actually writing about ghosts in this article, and I went upstairs to the bathroom to take a shower when the lights of the bathroom flickered off and on. Again this is something they had never done before and haven’t done since. Sure, it could have been an extraordinary coincidence, but I don’t think so. Whether we want to believe it or not, there is a spiritual world around and even through us. And occasionally, we see the signs that they are here among us.

(part 4 coming soon...)

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