Re-Enchanting The Unseen Realm

The Fauna, Flora, and Architecture of the Unseen Realm

The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more. I can’t describe it any better than that: if ever you get there you will know what I mean.

It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed, and then he cried:

“I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that is sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee! Come further up, come further in!”- C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

Introduction

Are there horses in the unseen realm? What about gardens? What about cities with buildings?

A lot of work has been done to re-enchant our view of the inhabitants of the unseen realm. But, thus far, little has been done to re-enchant our view of the realm in which the inhabitants reside. I believe this work is also important, because it can give more weight and longing to live within the traditional cosmic imagery of Christendom.

The sad reality is that many Christians not only have a disenchanted view of the inhabitants of the unseen realm but the unseen realm itself.

When most think of the unseen realm, they think of a flat, shadowy realm or a heaven on the clouds where people are playing harps for eternity. But the reality is that it’s livelier and more real than the realm we live in. It’s filled with its own flora, fauna, and architecture. There’re not just celestial beings who reside there, but archetypal beings as well.

The Fauna of the Unseen Realm

Though the modern conception of the unseen realm has been disenchanted by what I will call a dark enlightenment, the Bible presents a vision of the unseen realm that is enchanted. So enchanted, in fact, that there is even celestial fauna who resides there.

One of the passages comes from 2 Kings 6:15-17. It reads:

"15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

In this passage, the city that Elisha is residing in is surrounded by an army with horses and chariots (Most likely the Arameans based off the previous chapter). Elisha’s servant is frightened by the situation and says to Elisha “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” Elisha replies to him and tells him to not be afraid because he’s aware of something that he is not.

What was he aware of? What was it that he able to see that his servant couldn’t?

It’s apparent that Elisha and his servants saw two different realities before them. One saw in the spirit and the other saw in the flesh. Elisha saw the army of the Lord mustered upon horse and chariot burning with celestial fire, and it’s not until the Lord opened the servants’ eyes that he was able to see it too.

And so it is that our eyes are opened as well. At once we are met with the re-enchanting reality that the Lord has willed it to be that it wouldn’t just be humanity who lives, moves, and has its being in the One who speaks the heavens and earth into existence, but even high creatures from a deep country we’ve not yet known.

This way of thinking about the unseen realm was common in the Ancient Near East.

When Marduk goes to war with the chaos dragon Tiamat in the Enuma Elish, he bears similitude to the warriors in the army of God in 2 Kings. He is depicted as a warrior with weaponry, riding a celestial chariot with horses.

"…He [Marduk] made the bow and weapon, brought forth the arrow and the quiver, Mounted the chariot, harnessed and yoked Four horses, destructive, overwhelming, Sharp of horn, he mounted the chariot He went forth, swift, irresistible, Proceeding like a hurricane." - Enuma Elish (Standard Akkadian Version), Tablet VII, Lines 121-127)

Are there really horses in the unseen realm? If there are, then does that mean that it’s possible are other kinds of fauna in the unseen realm? The Bible and the myths of the nation’s surrounding Israel seem to indicate that this is the case. There’s certainly a symbolic nature to them in that they point to the realities of power and celestial status. However, that doesn’t do away with the reality that the symbols really exist.

In the same way that bread and wine point to the realities of the broken body and shed blood of Christ, the fact that they point beyond themselves does not erase the reality of the symbol. They certainly participate in one another, but grace does not destroy nature. My personal thought is that there does seem to be fauna in the unseen realm and because I’m also a Christian Platonist, I don’t see a reason for why there couldn’t be other kinds of fauna in heaven as well. But I’ll get to that more at the end.

The Flora of the Unseen Realm

The Bible also suggests to us that there is flora in the unseen realm. The flora that is suggested in being there is the Tree of Life.

In Genesis 3, God exiled the first man and woman from the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life for their rebellion against Him. The question this raises is where did the Tree of Life go after that? Is it still out there somewhere, waiting to be rediscovered? Scientists and archeologists have been theorizing about their whereabouts for millennia. However, I believe that the Bible suggests that it was taken up into the unseen realm.

When we contemplate the unfolding of the biblical narrative, we see that the man’s exile from the Edenic Tree is something that does not come to an end until the New Jerusalem comes down from out of heaven. In Revelation 21, John the Revelator gives us a mystical vision of the Age to Come when the City of God will come down from out of heaven to earth (Rev. 21:2). It’s worthy of noting that it’s then and only then that we see man having access once again to the Tree of Life. I believe this suggests that after man’s exile from the Garden of God that it and the Tree were taken up into the City of God, and it was done so lest men reach out his hand and take of the Tree of Life and live forever (Gen. 3:22).

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” - Revelation 22:1-5

This thought is made much more explicit in the literature of the Second Temple Period which preceded the writing of Saint John’s Apocalypse. It appears in several sources, but for purposes here I want to focus on 2 Enoch. In 2 Enoch 8:1-5, the writer states that the Tree of Life and Garden of Eden was located in the Third Heaven. He writes:

About the taking of Enoch to the 3^rd heaven.

And those men took me from there, and they brought me up to the third heaven, and set me down |there|. Then I looked downward, and I saw Paradise. And that place is inconceivably pleasant.

And I saw the trees in full flower. And their fruits were ripe and pleasant-smelling, with every food in yield and giving off profusely a pleasant fragrance.

And in the midst (of them was) the tree of life, at that place where the LORD takes a rest when he goes into paradise. And that tree is indescribable for pleasantness and fine fragrance, and more beautiful than any (other) created thing that exists.
- 2 Enoch 8:1-5

The thought of flora existing in the unseen realm is not something foreign to the world picture of biblical writers and those writing in the Second Temple Period. It’s also not foreign the world picture of the rest of the Ancient Near East.

Again, in the Enuma Elish, Marduk was said to stretch out the heavens and found the earth. After he created them, he covers the dry land by unleashing the waters upon them, making them fruitful.

"He (Marduk) created dust, and he created the clouds. He spread out the heavens and he founded the earth below. He unleashed the waters and made them bear fruit. He established the Tigris and the Euphrates. The stars of heaven he fixed in their place. He measured out the year and marked the divisions. He set up the stations of Nibiru to determine their astral significance. After he had founded the earth and created the heavens, he created the estate of the great gods. The great gods entered the estate of the great gods. In the center of the estate of the great gods, he made the Garden of the Sun." - Enuma Elish, Tablet VI, Lines 1-15

Now, we must acknowledge that these sources referred to here are not Scripture. The Enochian literature is not inspired by God. Obviously the Babylonian Enuma Elish isn’t either. However, the point that I’m making is that the thought of flora present in the unseen realm is not foreign to the world picture of the Ancient Near East, including the world picture of Israel.

The Architecture of the Unseen Realm

The Bible also is very clear that there is architecture in heaven. There, within its sacred, re-enchanting pages we see that God not only has a City, but even an armory within its celestial walls.

“The LORD has opened his armory and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Lord GOD of hosts has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans.” - Jeremiah 50:25

It isn’t much of a leap to see that this is where the celestial chariots and weaponry of the army of heaven that was seen earlier would be located. This may sound mythical, but we must remember that Christianity does not come abolish myth. Christianity fulfills the great myths as the True Myth, as Tolkien said. Christians need not fear mythic elements in their world picture Rather, they need to fear the de-mythologized world picture that has been imposed upon them by the dark enchanted world picture of modernity.

The City of God is described in John the Revelator’s apocalypse in this way:

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.  It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.” - Revelation 21:9-27

Again, there’s obvious symbolism in the passage. However, we much keep in mind once more that this doesn’t do away with the reality that is being pointed at. The City of God — which is the perfect, archetypal City where the Council of God resides will one day come back down to earth. Heaven and earth be re-joined once more in a cosmic, holy wedlock and there will be no death that will be able to part the two henceforth.

This thought of there being architecture in the unseen realm is also present, once again, in the literature of the Second Temple Period. The writer of 1 Enoch describes the City of God in a very similar way, stating:

“And the vision was shown to me thus: Behold, in the vision clouds invited me and a mist summoned me, and the course of the stars and the lightnings sped and hastened me, and the winds in the vision caused me to fly and lifted me upward, and bore me into heaven. And I went in till I drew nigh to a wall which is built of crystals and surrounded by tongues of fire: and it began to affright me. And I went into the tongues of fire and drew nigh to a large house which was built of crystals: and the walls of the house were like a tesselated floor (made) of crystals, and its groundwork was of crystal. Its ceiling was like the path of the stars and the lightnings, and between them were fiery cherubim, and their heaven was (clear as) water. A flaming fire surrounded the walls, and its portals blazed with fire. And I entered into that house, and it was hot as fire and cold as ice: there were no delights of life therein: fear covered me, and trembling got hold upon me. And as I quaked and trembled, I fell upon my face. And I beheld a vision, And lo! there was a second house, greater than the former, and the entire portal stood open before me, and it was built of flames of fire. And in every respect it so excelled in splendour and magnificence and extent that I cannot describe to you its splendour and its extent. And its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path of the stars, and its ceiling also was flaming fire. And I looked and saw therein a lofty throne: its appearance was as crystal, and the wheels thereof as the shining sun, and there was the vision of cherubim. And from underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look thereon. And the Great Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and was whiter than any snow. None of the angels could enter and could behold His face by reason of the magnificence and glory and no flesh could behold Him. The flaming fire was round about Him, and a great fire stood before Him, and none around could draw nigh Him: ten thousand times ten thousand (stood) before Him, yet He needed no counselor. And the most holy ones who were nigh to Him did not leave by night nor depart from Him. And until then I had been prostrate on my face, trembling: and the Lord called me with His own mouth, and said to me: ' Come hither, Enoch, and hear my word.' And one of the holy ones came to me and waked me, and He made me rise up and approach the door: and I bowed my face downwards.” - 1 Enoch 14:8-25

Conclusion

I realize that what I’m putting forth here may sound foreign to modern ears. However, the reality is this is very engrained in the Christian Tradition. By living within a re-enchanted cosmic imagery and world picture, we’re far less likely to fall under the dark enchantment of modernity and its cosmic imagery. There is nothing that I am proposing here that hasn’t been said since before the wheel of time turned to our current darkened age.

Saint Augustine has said it this way:

"For this [heavenly] Jerusalem is the mother of us all, and it is in heaven that the ideals exist, of which these things here below are but the copies." — Saint Augustine, City of God (Book XI, Chapter 26)

In other words, everything that exists here in the earth below are simply imperfect copies that participate in their perfect ideal that is present in the heavenly unseen realm. This is a profound notion. It is profound because it means in that deep heavenly country, the trees and gardens are greener, the animals are livelier, and the architecture is sublime. When the wheel of time turns for the final time, the heavenly City of God will come back to earth.

I imagine that there’s an entire world unseen and untouched by man that we will one day explore and enjoy to the glorious praise of God’s name. I don’t believe we can currently fathom the perfections and varieties of celestial beings, life, and cities that await us. There will be rivers flowing from the Holy City that will be wetter, mountains that will be more glorious than those of Appalachia, and light that will kiss our skin in a way that the sun’s rays never have. There are regions waiting for the sons of God to one day explore them. But, before that world comes, we must be planted like seed in the ground first, awaiting our eternal spring.

I believe that becoming aware of our own cosmic imagery and world picture matters. Not only does it produce meaning, weight, beauty, and longing, but it’s also a much better alternative than the nihilism and rootlessness of modernity. The reality is that not only is our modern view of heaven inconsistent with the cosmic imagery that has come from the Bible and the world that it was born in (The Ancient Near East), but it also produces what we know won’t be in heaven — tears of boredom. We are called to rule over the image below because we’re images of our Father who rules over that which above, and one day we’ll rule over it with Him.

So, come further up, and further in!