The very first notation that needs to be placed ahead of everything else written here, is that this writer most assuredly does NOT have all the answers, and very likely does NOT even know all the questions, however for what it’s worth; even though the writer has little to offer in the way of gold or silver, even so what he does have is offered for the welcome use and inspection of any/all.

As such, this is fundamentally a work in progress, and not at all to be anything approaching a teacher-student thing. Rather, our expected delving will be advanced along the way to a (hopeful) conclusion through the thoughtful and prayerful contributions from whomever the ETERNAL FATHER places amidst the ongoing process.

So let it be noted that questions, observations and doubts, delivered from a seeking heart will be most welcome, however let us each one strive to avoid conflict, whilst maintaining a desire for investigation. Even so, it must further be noted at this point, that this thread discussion will certainly NOT be for everyone, nor to everyone’s taste. Nonetheless, may exclusivity not be permitted, I pray.

For almost a year now, I have been in a process of working with my FATHER ETERNAL on a topic which has been proving extremely illuminating indeed, and even though at first it may appear a little unusual, once the concept settles itself into the overall spiritual scenario, it makes quite a difference in far more aspects of scriptural appreciation than anyone could at first imagine. Now, obviously when I say that I have been working with my FATHER ETERNAL, I actually mean that HE has been showing me, and I am most thankful and truthful noting that this has been decidedly a joint effort, with myself contributing approximately - by my estimation; around 10% of the effort.

It basically centers upon the term 'earth', as rendered around 1100 times throughout scripture, it's brother 'world', as included around 450 times, and 'heaven' which appears around 720 times. So as you can imagine, because it is upon the planet we call 'earth' that we survive, and towards 'heaven' that we; as spiritually seeking folk choose to aim our attention, then it is relatively important that we get these concepts set in our mind - according the correct interpretation - as per our FATHER ETERNAL, rather than the general 'worldly' slant, that we are all too familiar with.

Clearly we all understand plainly enough the general 'worldly' concepts of;
World: The planet of our existence and sustenance
Earth: The name of our planet, and alternatively the dust of the place, as we daily tread
Heaven: The firmament - above the physically solid 'earth'.

The definitions above are in accordance to the physical, and as it is the physical realm in which we dwell, so it is this set of definitions which is generally best understood. However there is a second set of definitions that are not so well appreciated, yet they are the stuff of what really should be far more fundamentally essential to spiritually determined folk – for they are the SPIRITUAL definitions, which as we would expect are most often the definition behind the particular (respective) word; as it pops up in scripture, being a document fundamentally founded in the spiritual.

Without defining the difference between the known and understood physical definitions of the terms above in contrast with the lesser understood spiritual definitions, we find ourselves unknowingly misreading much of scripture, for scripture is much more focused upon the spiritual than the physical, yet many of us have been reading it predominantly from the perspective of the physical definitions and therefore mixing the two.

It would be a little like someone picking up a book entitled “All About Guitar”, written to explain how to construct the instrument for best results, and then trying to learn how to play one from reading it’s pages. The guitar is a solid physical thing, but the music that emanates from it is ethereal and melodic (we hope) and SPIRITUAL. So even though the guitar and the sound that emanates from it are inextricably linked forever, nevertheless they really are two completely separate things – and need to be appreciated that way.

Therefore it truly becomes us to separate what we understand about the physical realm from what we have been missing for too long in regards the spiritual, before we can begin to fully understand what scripture is all about. It is for this purpose that this thread is being commenced, and if permitted, will expand over the next few weeks. I personally think the knock-on effect of what will be revealed and the illumination from it as we witness the unfolding particulars, will be a helpful thing for many of us to behold.

The thing is that the revealing that we might expect to enjoy in this process over time, while (I expect) will be stunning in it’s results, nevertheless it really needs time to develop to it’s fullest hue. Nevertheless, I am confident enough to note that somewhere along the path, many will reach a realisation that will explain to us that much of scripture will never be looked at quite the same way again.

So for a start, we might choose a reasonably simple observation in this text from John 15:19 “If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as one of its own. But because you do not belong to the world and I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.”, and from it will notice that there are four references to “the world”, yet not so readily realise that they are all speaking of a spiritual definition rather than the physical, as detailed above.

In short, ‘the world’ as referenced in this text, is not at all about the physical orb we inhabit, but rather according a spiritual definition, being perhaps explained as; The generalised attitude, or mindset of the inhabitants of the planet, and as we might further notice, it is therefore a spiritual definition of a decidedly physical mindset – one that is focused upon the physical realm as it’s ultimate parameter for understanding.

But now consider the other side of this particular coin, for Yahshua was speaking in this text to some folk - explaining to them that they did NOT any longer belong to this overall (spiritual) mindset – as upon the physical. So according his words, they now belonged to an alternative (also spiritual) mindset – yet presumably focused upon the spiritual realm.

Please now consider this verse from Isaiah 13:11 “Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.”

Was Isaiah saying that the Eternal Father was telling us that HE was going to punish the (physical) planet we inhabit for being in any way evil? Of course not, for HE was referencing the (spiritual) definition of “the world” rather than the physical. Indeed, the ‘world’ that was being placed on notice in this text is - the physically minded man, as distinct from the (spiritually) defined - spiritually minded.

So the mindset of either side of the coin, whether it is a physical mindset or a spiritual alternative, is by definition, either way still an integrated spiritual entity – as being either;

A. (spiritually) Physical minded, or
B. (spiritually) Spiritual focused.

We might well appreciate that we have, each one of us come from the place of being (A) physically minded, therefore of (A) - ‘the world’ of the physically minded, as also belonging to the greater mass of mankind, as being driven by the material things in existence around us such as (among other worldly things); wealth, possessions, the support of (other) men/women of like focus, and of course - self.

Nonetheless, the fact that we now find ourselves in a place such as this forum of spiritually determined folk, and have serious passion in the things under focus here, which are fundamentally about seeking the spiritual realm of understanding, would indicate to each of us that we are all now to be considered among those to whom Yahshua was speaking – indeed as being of the alternative defined in the (B) option above.

As such, it becomes a an essential for us that we get the definitions of such things well and truly determined and fixed in our understanding, for when we do, we will all see that scripture is often explaining things to us that we have never noticed before, and occasionally, we will even discover that what has been originally intended, effectively has precisely the opposite relevance, to what we have been seeing until (now). This has been the case for this poster, at least.

More examples of scriptural ‘the world’ references which may at first seem to imply the physical planet, yet are entirely in accordance with the (spiritually speaking) physical mindset alternative, follow;

**Note: As you read through the list, try to think on each the world reference as according a (physically focused) mindset rather than the physical planet, and notice for yourself how some of these begin to read a little differently (some are easier to see than others);


Mark 4:19 “but the worries of the world, the deceitful glamour of wealth and all the other kinds of desires push in and choke the message; so that it produces nothing.”

1 Cor. 3:19 “ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before YHWH. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”;

James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward YAH? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of YAH.”

Colossians. 2:20 “If you have died with Messiah to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in ‘the world’, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, …”

Lamentations 4:12 “The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.”

Psalm 97:4 “His lightnings lit up the world; The earth saw and trembled.”

Galatians 4:3 “So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.”

2 Kings 5:15 “Then he and all his men returned to the man of YHWH. Naaman stood in front of Elisha and said, "Now I know that there's no Elohim in the whole world, except the Elohim of Israel. So please accept a present from me."

Jude 1:9 “These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.”

Ezekiel 38:12 “to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.”

Matt 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;”

Ephesians 2:2 “in which you formerly walked according to the course of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”

2 John 1:7 “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Messiah as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the ant-Messiah.”

John 1:10 “He was in ‘the world’, and the world was made through him. Yet the world did not recognize him.”

Matt 13:38 “and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one.”

Deut 30:3 “HE will restore your fortunes. HE will have mercy on you and gather you from all the nations of the world where he will scatter you.”

Nahum 1:5 “ Mountains quake because of Him and the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, the world and all the inhabitants in it.”

Dan 4:1 “From King Nebuchadnezzar. To the people of every province, nation, and language in the world. I wish you peace and prosperity.”

John 2:15 “Stop loving the world and the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, the Father's love is not in him.”

Hebrews 11:38 “The world wasn't worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and from caves to holes in the ground.”

Dan 2:39 “Another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to power after you. Then there will be a third kingdom, a kingdom of bronze, that will rule the whole world.”

John 3:17 “For the FATHER sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."

Revelation 3:10 “Because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell in the earth.”

This above list is certainly not a comprehensive collection of ‘the/this world’ references throughout scripture, yet I expect that we may already be witnessing just how a text here and there effectively reads a little differently, through the use of spiritual definition rather than the far more widely accepted physical.

Grace, peace and shalom to all

Blessings in YAH to you Matthew,

I am just wondering, as you read through the list of around 15 texts, did you find any that read a little differently to how you have understood it before? I am thinking, for example;

Matt 13:38 “and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one.”

For mine, this is one of the texts which is not so easily read from a spiritual 'the world' perspective. Of course, some of the listed texts can be viewed from either a physical perspective or from the spiritual, but certainly not all sufficiently lend themselves to the physical.

Grace and peace to you.