God's grace enables each generation of history to go head-to-head with the challenges unique to its times. Our present generation, therefore, must develop the spiritual vision, wisdom, and foresight to perceive God's plans for the Church today that we might co-labor effectively in the Kingdom of our God, the Lord of heaven and earth. In order to press ahead into God's future, we must first look back to the early Church to see what God has wrought before us. Studying the Church's development and redemption back in the first century opens our eyes to the spiritual world all around us today. Like the early Church, we need to see things visible and invisible, as well as understand the relationship between things that are on earth and things that are in heaven. Such spiritual vision is essential for God's people today, especially for a Church whose sight is being hindered by various heresies and endtimes manias.

The Church Militant vs. the Church Triumphant

When we think about the development and redemption of the Church back in the first century, we think in terms of the Chosen of all times being gathered and reconciled unto Christ at a point in real redemptive history. Scripture tells us that all the saints past and present are one by the Spirit, and we are baptized into one body--the body of Christ himself (Eph 1:10, 2:15-16, 4:4; 1 Cor 12:13,27; Col 1:20). Traditionally, theologians call this doctrine concerning the unity of all members of the Church (both on earth and in heaven) the "Communion of the Saints." The Church of saints on earth is often labeled the "Church Militant," and the Church of the saints in heaven is labeled the "Church Triumphant." Although the whole Church is equally triumphant and militant at the same time, the usefulness of this doctrine is that it helps us see the Church's existence within two realms: visible and invisible, heavenly and earthly. This distinction comes straight from New Testament writings that speak of one redeemed Church existing across two realms or dimensions of the created cosmology. Based on New Testament revelation, we could categorize Christ's body in the following ways:

The Church Visible and the Church Invisible (Col 1:16-17; Matt 17:1-4; Rev 10:6)

Or, perhaps:

The Church on Earth (Eph 3:15; Col 1:20; Eph 1:10; Rev 5:10;14:6;11:15) and the Church in Heaven (Eph 3:15; Col 1:20; Eph 1:10; Rev 5:3; Rev 19:1; Rev 10:6; Rev 11:19; Rev 14:17; Luke 12:33-34; Matt 19:28/Rev 20:4)

As shown in these verses, the Church is in heaven and earth, and its members dwell within two realms of the created universe, one visible and the other invisible to those on earth (Col 1:16; Heb 11:3; Col 1:20). This is important to understand, for Christ reigns with all the saints, both saints in heaven and saints on earth. God redeemed all his Chosen ones, past and present. Some implications of this teaching are plain: we are to understand that we are not alone in the universe. We are constantly "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12:1), and we are in full union with Christ and all the saints (Heb 12:22-24). The Church today rules and reigns with Jesus Christ, the head of the Church and the Lord of heaven and earth (Matt 28:18). Therefore God's people, with Christ as their leader, are a mighty force, and the universe's true and only superpower.

The Living and The Dead

Examining further how the early saints had the vision to see across two realms, we note that the New Testament makes a clear distinction concerning "the living" and "the dead" (Luke 24:5; Rev 20:12). "The living" are those that have not yet physically died, and "the dead" are those that have physically died and gone on to the afterlife (Rom 14:9; 2 Tim 4:1). Yet all are saints of one family in heaven and earth (Eph 3:15). The early Church's concern for the departed saints is clear from verses like Hebrews 11:32-40, 1 Corinthians 15:29, John 11:23-27, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13. It impresses me how the first followers of Christ saw so clearly into two realms at the same time, yet all in one comprehensive view of the universe. The saints of the bible have eyes that see angels as well as men (Matt 28:1-7). Eyes that see God as well the situation around them (John 19:11; Acts 12:21-23). Eyes that see the conflicts of the day as well as the Lord issuing decrees from his throne to judge conflicts and nations (Ps 22:28; Acts 4:26-28; Matt 21:40-45; Rev 1:5). Their whole theology was one of seeing things visible and invisible. Christians today need to examine this worldview closely and pray that we might gain understanding of God's great works in our day. Like Moses, we want to "see him who is invisible" (Heb 11:27), and, like the saints before us, we want to grasp the reality of the Church's existence and reign in heaven and earth.

Seeing in Two Realms

One more interesting example of seeing in two realms simultaneously is found in the first letter of St. Peter. In that letter, the apostle states that God was about to judge both "the living" and "the dead" (1 Pet 4:5). Again, for Peter, this meant saints visible and invisible, as well as the angels. Peter believed that the living were about to be judged upon the earth--they were to be judged in, through, and by the tribulation (1 Pet 4:12-17; cf. Rev 3:10; Acts 14:22). Having established this, Peter then discourses on how the dead and the angels were to be judged--they would be judged in the heavenly court (1 Pet 4:5-6; 2 Pet 2:4; cf. Jude 6; Rev 20:11-12; 2 Cor 5:10/Rom 14:8-9). As we might now expect from the pattern we are tracing, Peter sees action in two realms, and sees correlation between what is going on in his situation on earth and what is going on in the heavenlies. Peter is mindful always of the unseen things. His example is extremely helpful us today that we might develop a spiritual worldview with eyes that see across two realms, seeing things visible and invisible and living in the fulness of that revelation.

Conclusion

The apostles fully grasped and appropriated the blessings of the New Covenant Kingdom of God. They firmly understood its reality and powers within two realms, visible and invisible, earthly and heavenly. Yet, such is one Kingdom. Their understanding of the life of the whole Church included a "this life" (1 Cor 15:19), and also that resurrection state where men are like angels that can die no more (Rom 6:9; Luke 20:36). They saw the existence of the saints on the earth, as well as the departed saints that faced the throne of Christ in the afterlife (Eph 3:15; Rom 14:8-9; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11-12; 1 Cor 15:29). They grasped the distinction between the living saints and the dead saints--yet they saw one People of God. The eyes of the early Church leaders saw one new man in Christ, yet existing in different realms of revealed cosmology (Col 1:20; Eph 3:15; Eph 2:15/1:10). It is crucial that today's Church, like the great saints before us, develop eyes that see the realities of our world around us from a spiritual perspective. If the People of God today hope to participate fully with God's will for our times, the overseers of the Lord's flock must teach a spiritual worldview that grasps God's plans and wisdom for our generation to the end that all might see him who is invisible.