Stranger things = Those fringe subjects of the Bible which exist at the intersection of the supernatural and natural, the immaterial and material worlds. “It would be dishonest of us to claim that the biblical writers read and understood the text the way we do as modern people, or intended meanings that conform to theological systems created centuries after the text was written. Our context is not their context. The proper context for interpreting the Bible is …not the modern world at all, or any period of its history. The proper context is the context of the biblical writers-the context that produced the Bible….The biblical context was produced by men who lived in the ancient near east (ANE). Seeing the Bible through the eyes of an ancient reader [therefore] requires shedding the filters of our [modern] traditions and presumptions. They processed life in supernatural terms.” – Michael S. Heiser (The Unseen Realm) Dimensional portals (def.,): doors or gates and their accompanying bridges connecting the immaterial/spiritual/supernatural world to the material/physical/natural world allowing those with access, the ability to travel or send/receive things from one dimension (or realm) to the other (e.g., Rev 4:1 “door” = Portal; Consider also 2Co 12:2 – Like John, Paul most likely travelled through a dimensional portal).1. Summary of what we learned in our previous two discussions:1.1. In the Bible, access to the divine (a heavenly portal/gate which in most cases, is also identified as the house of God) is associated w/mountains (including hills and high places). Hence the name, “El Shaddai” (Literally, “God of the Mountain”): 1) Mt. Eden (Eze 28:13-14 “Every precious stone was your covering” = This statement along w/what follows could be a reference to a temple like structure that existed as God’s house on the mountain – Precious stones were a part of Solomon’s Temple – 1Ch 29:2) 2) Mt. Ephraim (Gen 28:10-22 “a ladder was set on earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it…‘This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate [portal] of heaven [Bethel].’” w/Jug 4:5 “Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim”)3) Mt. Sinai/tabernacle (Exo 24:1-18 w/the tabernacle being constructed at the base of the mountain – Exo 40)4) Mt. Zion/Jerusalem Temple (Psa 84:1-3, 9), 5) Jesus as the eschatological Mt. Zion/Temple (house of God) (Mat 16:18 “rock” [mountain] w/Dan 2:35 [7:13] w/Isa 2:1-3; Joh 1:14 “dwelt” = Literally, “tabernacled”; Joh 2:19-21 w/Rev 21:22; Mat 16:19 “keys [to the portal/gate] of the kingdom of heaven”). Hence why also (Gen 11:1-9 “Babel” – later, “Babylon” or “Gate of Heaven”). 1.2. In the Bible, bodies of water (seas, lakes and rivers) are associated with death, the wicked and demons (Psa Psa 9:17 “the wicked…Sheol”; Luk 8:31 “demons…the abyss”, 16:23 “[wicked] in Hades”; Mat 8:31-32 “[the demons possessing the swine] rushed…into the sea” w/12:43 “[exorcised demon] passes through waterless places seeking rest [a water-filled place]”) (In re: to both Psa 18:1-17). *For further study see L. Michael Morales (Who Shall Ascend The Mountain of the Lord?) 2. Conclusions (Inferences/Hypotheses) that can be drawn from what we have learned:2.1. The above two truths, are why God’s salvation often involves (or is depicted as) deliverance from the watery depths and ascent to the mountain heights (bc we are moving from death to life/new life): 1) Noah and family: were delivered from the global flood to Mt. Ararat (Gen 7:6-7 w/17w/21-8:4) 2) Moses and Israel were delivered thru the Red Sea to Mt. Sinai (Exo 14:29-30 and 19:1-2) 3) David (in re: to Saul’s deadly manhunt) was delivered from “the torrents (rushing water) of ungodliness (or demonic assault, 1Sa 16:14)…the cords of Sheol…the snares of death…the many waters” to a place “on high” to the mountain of God - or God who is the mountain (“rock”) (Psa 18:1-7 w/15-17)4) Us/Christians were delivered thru the waters of baptism symbolizing the place of our sin/death to new life on the mountain that is Christ (1Pe 3:20-21 w/Rom 8:3-4) Who experienced the same path in His mission to save us: baptism unto death (Luk 12:50) leading to resurrection and heavenly ascension from the top of a sacred mtn (Mt. Olivet). 2.2. Access to God – or His sacred mountain (for forgiveness, blessings, empowerment, guidance) has never been something available in any place, at any time or in any way (Exo 19:10-19 w/Psa 15 = Access to God/His mtn is limited and restrictive; Joh 12:25-26 = Access to El Shaddai Jesus is limited and restrictive; Again Mat 16:18-19 [Joh 20:21-23] = Forgiveness exists only in the church planted on El Shaddai Jesus and thru the hands of His anointed priests [Jam 5:14-16]). 2.3. Only God can open portals to heaven. The only portals we can open, are those ...
