So far, we have talked about the eleven dimensions in general and those which define our existence here on the Earth. Now let’s look at the next three dimensions that are related to time.

Dimension       Defined                            Spiritual Significance
5                          Fluid Time                       Time Travel
6                          Multiple Worlds            Potential Decisions
7                          Multiple Worlds            Sheol / Tartarus
                           with Each on a
                           Different Timeline

While the fifth dimension is believed to be where time itself is fluid, meaning one can travel backwards and forwards in time, there may be some restrictions to it. While this dimension seems to imply that idea, the higher dimensions seem to imply that going back in time may not be possible. The thought is that the past represents decisions that have already been decided and enacted. Therefore, those decisions cannot be reversed. However, the future represents the choice of innumerable decisions that may be made but have not yet been made. The present is the fulcrum between the past and the future. Once a decision is made, it becomes part of our past and therefore unchangeable. It is no longer a series of options.

You may think time travel is not possible, but the Bible does give us several examples:

Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading (Jn 6:21).

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:26).

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea (Ac 8:39-40).

The transfiguration may have been a time-travel event for Moses and Elijah (Mt 17:1-9; Mk 9:2-10; Lk 9:28-36; see the post Time Travel in the Bible?). But let’s remember that only God can do time travel or allow time travel by others—at least as far as we currently know.

The sixth dimension tells us there are multiple worlds—other Earths—that exists. They are formed due to the different decisions that individuals can make which puts them on a different course for their future. One can travel between these parallel worlds, but only at the same time stamp within each world. So, what would this mean from a spiritual point of view? Because this dimension is where all decisions are made available, this sounds very much like one having free will to make any decision available to them. Our future is based upon today’s decisions and is not set until decisions become our past.

The seventh dimension allows parallel worlds to exist that are on a different timeline from our own world with experiences that may be different from our own reality. From a spiritual perspective, this could be referring to Sheol. It is considered part of the Time Realm because this will also come to an end and has partly done so already. Up until Christ’s crucifixion, this dimension was connected with dimensions (0-4) where everyone’s souls dwell. After Christ’s crucifixion, the righteous in this dimension were taken to the 8th dimension and going forward, souls who were considered righteous go to the 8th dimension while all others still go to the 7th dimension.

Travel to the 7th dimension (Sheol) is only one way with a few exceptions:
Samuel returning from Sheol to speak to Saul (1Sa 28:3-19)
Those whom prophets resurrected (1Ki 17:17-24; 2Ki 4:18-37; 13:20-21)
Those whom Christ resurrected: widow of Nain’s son (Lk 7:11-17), Jairus’ daughter (Lk 8:49-56), and Lazarus returning from Sheol to this life (Jn 11:1-44)
Those resurrected at the time of Christ’s resurrection (Mt 27:50-54).

Before Christ rose again, it was a place for both the righteous and unrighteous: In Hades [Sheol], where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side . . . Between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us (Lk 16:23).

The righteous were removed from Sheol by Christ: When you ascended on high, you took many captives, you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious – that you, LORD God, might dwell there (P 68:18), and This is why it says, “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” (Ep 4:8).

In addition, this is also the dimension where Christ created Tartarus as a sub-dimension within Sheol. It contains angels who left their 9th dimensional form to transfer into a 4th dimensional form and married the daughters of men to form the Nephilim (Gn 6:1). The apostle Peter also references this action: For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to Tartarus, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment . . . Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment (2Pt 2:4,9). This dimension may likely become the Lake of Fire after the Great White Throne Judgment (Rv 20:11).

Next time we will look at the higher dimensions which form the spiritual realm. Please join me.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In my last couple of posts, we talked about the need/requirement for eleven different dimensions. The first four of those (including the zero dimension) encompass our existence—not only physical but our eternal spiritual existence as well. Let’s look at this further.

Dimension       Defined             Spiritual Significance
0                          Point                   Soul
1                          Line                     Spiritual Existence
2                          Plane                  Spirit
3                          Cube                   Physical Existence
4                          Tesseract           Time

As we discussed earlier, the zero dimension is represented as a point which has location but no length, width, or height. Yet, it seems this dimension has a hint of eternality with it as well, as some believe our universe as we know it came from this dimension which some refer to as the Big Bang. This seems to suggest a type of circular phenomena as the eleventh dimension has all the quantum building blocks of nature and it seems these came through the zero dimension to create our known world with all its laws of nature. While this is not how the Bible describes creation, it is consistent in that it came from God, who would be represented by the eleventh dimension.

From a spiritual point of view, it would seem the zero dimension has traits that are consistent with the traits of our souls. They have location but no physical characteristics. And they have eternality as well and are connected to the eleventh dimension as that dimension represents God himself. The soul also exists even when one’s physical body no longer does.

This then brings us to the first dimension, represented as a line. It starts at a point and has infinite length. This ties in well with the trait of a soul because this means the soul exists forever. The line then represents the existence of the soul and the transfer of the soul from one location to another. Once one’s physical existence is no more, the soul then travels this line to either the seventh or eighth dimension. We’ll discuss why that is once we discuss those dimensions.

The second dimension, represented as a plane, is a good analogy for one’s spirit. One’s spirit adds this secondary dimension to one’s soul and is also eternal and will exist when one’s physical nature is no longer.

The third dimension, represented by a cube, is easy for us to envision because we live in a world with length, width, and height. This is the physical world in which we live.

The fourth dimension, represented by a tesseract, is time. This is the dimension in which we live since we experience time in a linear fashion. Time is ever moving forward. This is evident because we age. We live in a 3-D world that moves through time.

There is a spiritual element to our fourth dimension as well. Although there are angels all around us who are God’s messengers, this is not the dimension in which they dwell. Yet, for Satan and his fallen angels, they are confined to this dimension with us.  God transferred them from the 9th dimension after Lucifer’s rebellion. Because they are not originally from our dimension, we cannot see them in their pure form. Yet, time is a linear dimension for them as well as for us. Satan (Lucifer) still has limited access to God: One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD , and Satan also came with them (Jb 1:6), but is confined to Earth otherwise: The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it” (Jb 1:7).

Satan also has possession of the earth: Again, the devil took him [Jesus] to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me” (Mt 4:8). Because of this and his influence on Adam and Eve to cause them to disobey, death came into existence. Because he now has reign over the kingdom Adam was to lead, he also has reign over death which is now part of this kingdom. This is tied to the seventh dimension which we will talk about later.

Satan also has direct influence on people: Then Satan entered Judas, called Isariot, one of the Twelve (Lk 22:3). While we still have authority over him and his fallen angels, he can have control over us if we let him or if we don’t exercise the authority which God has given to us because of his death, burial, and resurrection. We have been told we have the same power in us that raised Christ from the dead (Ep 1: 19-23). So, let’s use that authority we have!

Next time, we’ll look at the dimensions related to time. I hope you join me for that discussion.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In my last post, we talked about the different dimensions that define our universe and even parallel universes to which we may, someday, have access. I think to put all of this in a proper perspective is to understand our worldview on such a topic.

Which of the following statements would you consider true:
Science is Fact, or
Science is Truth?

The first is true. With what we can know, sense, test, measure, and interpret, science gives us facts for us to know. Yet, the issue is often not the fact itself but our interpretation of that fact. Our interpretation depends upon our worldview. That is, do we believe there is a God or not? Our worldview gives us a biased interpretation of the fact we observe. No one can have an unbiased worldview.

The second statement is false even though we try to justify that it is true. Why do I say that? Well, science is ever evolving and changing. We can only produce fact, or what seems factual, based on the sensitivity of the instruments we use to understand that fact. What we learn today is often something that could not have been known many years prior. Oftentimes we must modify what we thought of as a fact because our new way of measuring or detecting the phenomena around us has led us to new conclusions. So, science always points us toward truth but can never be truth in and of itself.

And what about Scripture? How does that fit into the two statements above? Well, if you ascribe to the dogma that there is no God, then you will likely believe that Scripture and Science cannot coexist together. Yet, if you ascribe to the belief that God does exist, then you likely believe that Scripture and Science will not contradict each other because Scripture is the ultimate source of truth. As I stated above, science points to truth but cannot be truth. Yet, Scripture is truth. Therefore, science points, supports, and acclaims what Scripture teaches.

So, one’s worldview is very important to understand. One needs to be aware of their own bias. Whether you believe in God or not, does not make you bias free in either case. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is biased. So, your biased worldview will dictate how you interpret what science is telling you. It’s never really about the fact, but the interpretation and application of what that fact means.

Also, what you believe about truth does not change or alter truth. Which bias is truth? Well, even if you believe in God, you can still miss the correct interpretation of the fact that has been discovered. In other words, if Scripture cannot support your interpretation, then maybe you need to look for a different interpretation. Now, the Bible isn’t a science textbook for sure, yet it contains all truth. Therefore, can the Bible support your interpretation or not?

Let’s look at our last post about the eleven different dimensions that science, according to M-Theory, tells us exist. Can the Bible support such as assertion? At face value, one may say no, that’s preposterous. But is it? Is it really?

Over the next several posts, I want us to explore what I said in my previous posts about these dimensions in more detail. Over the last one-hundred years or so physicists have attempted to unify the fundamental forces of nature (general relativity) and the atomic and subatomic forces of nature (quantum physics) in our universe into a cohesive whole by suggesting everything can be defined by “strings” (vibration frequencies) and branes (i.e., membranes connecting dimensions), and these two entities connecting to each other. Almost seventy years after Albert Einstein put his theory of relativity together in 1910, scientists began to come up with ways to combine his work and the work on the quantum scale into a generalized theory in an effort to come up with the so-called, “Theory of Everything.” Various versions were made over the next decade to try and achieve that. In 1995, Edward Witten, came up with what he called M-Theory which combined the five versions of string theory in existence at that time and quantum gravity into a model that could describe how we can understand our universe. In this model, he needed 11 different dimensions to make his theory tenable.

From a Scriptural perspective, I think the eleven dimensions can be divided into three categories: those defining our physical existence, those defining time, and those defining spiritual existence. Join me next time as we delve further into this line of thought.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens