The Supernatural Realm in Christian Eschatology
The supernatural realm in Christian eschatology encompasses the spiritual realities and beings that interact with God's plan for history and the end times. This realm includes both divine and angelic beings, as well as the spiritual experiences of believers.
The Bible describes God's power as extending to the creation of heaven and earth [6], and His excellency is considered superlative, surpassing even angels [2]. God is exalted above all the earth and its inhabitants [7]. The heavens are depicted as praising God's wonders, which can be understood as referring to angels, the inhabitants of heaven, who praise God for His works of nature, providence, and grace [4].
Angels, both good and evil, play a role in the supernatural realm. Some interpretations suggest that "glorious ones" in Jude 1:8 refer to evil angels, whose glorious origin the false teachers might have been denying [1]. Angels were also given a prominent role in judgment in the Old Testament and Judaism [1].
Believers can experience spiritual realities and gain insights into God's presence and intentions through the Holy Spirit. For example, John, "in the Spirit," was able to experience spiritual realities and grasp insights about the heavenly realm and God's historical plans [3]. The "exceeding greatness of his power" is directed toward believers, manifesting in the implantation and continuance of faith [5]. God's voice is also described as thundering marvelously, producing wondrous effects [8].
Sources
- Jude (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jude 1:8: 1:8 supernatural beings: Literally glorious ones, which are probably evil angels. In the Old Testament and in Judaism, angels were given a prominent role in the judgment. The false teachers might have been downplaying the reality of a judgment to come (see 1:18; 2 Pet 3:3-4) or denying the glorious origin of these fallen angels (cp. 2 Pet 2:10).”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 15:7: And in the greatness of thine excellency,.... Christ has an excellency in him, a greatness of excellency, a superlative one; he has a more excellent name and nature than the angels, being a divine Person; and a more excellent ministry, as man and Mediator, than any of the sons of men, as prophet, priest, and King; and is superlatively excellent in his operations, has wrought out a most excellent righteousness, offered up a more excellent sacrifice than ever was offered, and obtained a great, glorious, and excellent salvation for his people; in consequence of which is ”
- Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 4:2: 4:2 By being in the Spirit, John could experience spiritual realities (see 1:10; 17:3; 21:10; Ezek 11:1) and grasp insights about God’s presence, the heavenly realm, and God’s intentions in history.”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 89:4: And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord,.... Which, by a prosopopceia, may be understood of the heavens literally, in the same sense as other inanimate creatures praise the Lord, Psa 148:3, or mystically of the church, consisting of heaven born souls, and whose doctrines and ordinances are from heaven; or of the apostles, as Jerom, who had their ministry, mission, commission, and gifts, from thence; or rather of the angels, the inhabitants of heaven, who praise the Lord for his wonderful works of nature, providence, and grace, Psa 148:2, particularly they adm”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 1:19: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,.... The objects of the divine power here intended, are believers in Christ; which distinguishes this power from that which was put forth in creation, and from that which will be displayed in the resurrection of the dead, and from the power of divine wrath, which will appear in the damnation of sinners; and shows, that this power is that which is exerted in the implantation of faith, and in the continuance of it, and in the finishing of that work; and that this is a great power, an exceeding gr”
- Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 32:16: Ah Lord God!.... Which the Vulgate Latin version repeats three times, "Ah, ah, ah", as being greatly distressed with the trouble that was coming upon his people; and, it may be, not without some doubts and temptations about their deliverance; or, at least, was pressed in his mind with the difficulties and objections started by the Jews that were with him in the court: behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm; with great propriety is the making of the heaven and the earth ascribed to the mighty power of God; for noth”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 97:9: For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth,.... Above all the inhabitants of the earth, as the Targum; he is highly exalted above every name, men of the greatest name that is named in the world; he is made higher than the heavens, and the inhabitants of it; and has all power in heaven and earth, as Mediator; and, as a divine Person, he is the most high God, as the word "Elion", here used, signifies; and all this lays a foundation for joy and gladness in the saints; even the dignity of Christ's person, and the exaltation of him in the human nature: thou art exalted”
- Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 37:5: God thundereth marvellously with his voice,.... Or "marvels" (c), or marvellous things, which may respect the marvellous effects of thunder and lightning: such as rending rocks and mountains; throwing down high and strong towers; shattering to pieces high and mighty oaks and cedars, and other such like effects, mentioned in Psa 29:5; and there are some things reported which seem almost incredible, were they not well attested facts; as that an egg should be consumed thereby, and the shell unhurt; a cask of liquor, the liquor in it spoiled, and the cask not touched; money ”