Is The Physical Realm Analogous To A Simulated Reality?

[VladtheDestroyer]

I'm curious about the angels singing to the Shepherds the night Jesus was born, and the 3 Lords outside of Sodom...Do you think that they manifested real bodies and really sang and talked or did they manifest a mental vision of singing, talking people in the minds of their audience?

I think they were really there, not just mental impressions in the people's minds. Therefore I accept that the pure and holy spirits can manifest bodies for themselves and that is how we will be able to use the vast universe as our playground, adjusting our physicality to the particular planet etc, a thought that was quietly resisted a few posts back.

That's an interesting question.

 

[VladtheDestroyer]

Under the altar? Why are they held prisoner in such a place?

Maybe they like to hang out there.

 

[VladtheDestroyer]

simulacrum

BTW this word might also be a bit gay. It's giving me lesbo-commander star trek series vibes.

 

[VladtheDestroyer]

Simulacrum...

 

[ttruscott]

That's an interesting question.

In the Bible, when God "opened his eyes," it typically refers to a moment of divine revelation. Most famously, in the Book of Numbers, God opened the eyes of the prophet Balaam, allowing him to see the angel of the Lord blocking his path with a drawn sword. Seems to imply that the angel was really really there but invisible to Balaam, yes?

And:
2 Kings 6:17, where the prophet Elisha prays for his terrified servant. The servant was overwhelmed by an enemy army, but God answered Elisha's prayer and opened his eyes to see the unseen spiritual realm—a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire. Was the fire real flames or just bright lights?

 

[Derf]

Maybe they like to hang out there.

Seems like "under the altar" would have significance.

The phrase is used in the sacrificial system thusly:
And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar: [Lev 9:9 KJV]
And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh. [Deu 12:27 KJV]

And here are two verses referring to Christ being poured out, as a sacrifice for us:
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. [Psa 22:14 KJV]
Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. [Isa 53:12 KJV]

So it would appear that the souls "under the alter" were "poured out" like Christ was, suffering like He did, as Christ expected of His disciples:
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. [Jhn 15:20 KJV]

 

[VladtheDestroyer]

Therefore I accept that the pure and holy spirits can manifest bodies for themselves

After thinking about this a bit, I guess I see it the same way. I would add that it seems to me that the would need permission from God first, or obey some kind of rules. For example, I don't think it would be permissible for an angel to, say, pretend to be my mother or something like that and imitate her physical body.

The simulation must follow certain rules so that God is portrayed accurately as He interacts with us in it. So that we can know Him. I think this is why God is using dividing language in Genesis 1. God make a covenant, and then provides a specific pathway or an architecture where we can dwell together with Him (ie. a gardenlike temple on top of His Holy mountain.) There IS that sort of pattern in the Bible, although it's a bit rough...

It might explain why that when God does a miracle, He often times does not just DO a miracle. He seems to do them tentatively. Oftentimes telling people "Do this and this FIRST and then I will do a miracle." Now there could be more then 1 reason for that.. but I don't believe that God does this to teach us, "If you obey me, I will do miracles for you." or anything like that. I think there is some sort of, perhaps delicate, balance that must be maintained, so that the purpose of this simulated environment holds true.

 

[VladtheDestroyer]

Seems like "under the altar" would have significance.

The phrase is used in the sacrificial system thusly:
And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar: [Lev 9:9 KJV]
And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh. [Deu 12:27 KJV]

And here are two verses referring to Christ being poured out, as a sacrifice for us:
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. [Psa 22:14 KJV]
Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. [Isa 53:12 KJV]

So it would appear that the souls "under the alter" were "poured out" like Christ was, suffering like He did, as Christ expected of His disciples:
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. [Jhn 15:20 KJV]

Surely this is a good answer. (I just realized I have been spelling "surely" wrong for my entire life.)

 

[VladtheDestroyer]

In the Bible, when God "opened his eyes," it typically refers to a moment of divine revelation. Most famously, in the Book of Numbers, God opened the eyes of the prophet Balaam, allowing him to see the angel of the Lord blocking his path with a drawn sword. Seems to imply that the angel was really really there but invisible to Balaam, yes?

Sure. That is how I see it.

And:
2 Kings 6:17, where the prophet Elisha prays for his terrified servant. The servant was overwhelmed by an enemy army, but God answered Elisha's prayer and opened his eyes to see the unseen spiritual realm—a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire. Was the fire real flames or just bright lights?

Well if there is fire in heaven, or in the spirit realm, then it is real fire. The fire here in the physical realm only resembles the real spirit fire in some way....maybe?

The same might also be true with water. The Bible talks a lot about water. About the water on earth and the rain cycle and so on. But it also mentions there is water in Heaven. In the real Heaven -not just the in the sky.

No?