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Guest (Male): With what Bible believers have always known, and the scientists are just now discovering. Here's Pastor Tom Keller.

Pastor Thom Keller: This present life is in reality only a dream, a shadow of the world which is yet to come, of the life which is yet to come. The world around us clamors saying that this world is reality and heaven is a dream. Whereas in reality, as quantum physics, particle physics has confirmed, this world is a dream, and the world beyond this world is reality.

Guest (Male): Shadows versus substance are seen not only in the Old Testament law, but also in modern science, where they are now getting glimpses in their discoveries of a greater reality. We'll hear more about these exciting discoveries on today's Study the Word with Pastor Tom Keller. We'll first turn to Colossians chapter two. Then we'll hear from the scientists. But Pastor Tom will introduce today's lesson with a brief word on gnosticism.

Pastor Thom Keller: We've been talking about gnostics, right? Gnosticism. Do you know what the favorite kitchen utensil is for a gnostic? A no stick pan. No stick gnostic, no. Okay. They did that to me in the second service. They've had that slide for 20 years. This is the first time they've ever felt I really needed it. So, uh I guess that tells me what you think of the joke up there. So, thank you. Anyway, my guess is that some of you have had kind of a sticky week, a difficult week. And I hope and pray that today you can relax and that the Lord can maybe speak to your heart out of his heart of love.

So, let's pick up Colossians 2:16. It says, so don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows, shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Paul said that you are not to allow others to condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days, or for not celebrating new moon ceremonies, or for not celebrating Sabbaths. And here today in verse 17, Paul adds that these rules were merely shadows, shadows of the true reality that is found beyond Earth's mere shadows of reality.

Folks, this is why we go through the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse, because we get to dig in a little deeper than you might in your everyday reading of your devotions. With the goal being so that when you do get to those chapters and verses in your own personal devotional time, you have a bit more background and a little deeper understanding in your study time. And this section today is a great case in point. You could brush over this verse quickly, but 17 has huge implications. Here Paul says that these rules, the 613 rules and stipulations that are contained in the Old Testament mosaic law, these 613 rules and stipulations were only shadows which were and are a non-reality shadow, a hologram, if you will, of the reality which is yet to come.

Listen to three different translations. Verse 17 in the New Living, for these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality, the ESV. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. An NIV. These are a shadow of the things that were to come. The reality, however, is found in Christ. Now the key word obviously here is the word shadow. In Greek, that's the word and it means an image cast by an object and representing the form of that object as opposed to the object itself.

So, picture a light up against an object and was projected on the back wall from that object, the shadow. It's referring to that that image on the wall, not the object itself. Now this shadow image was in fact a basic teaching of Plato. Plato believed in what he called forms. The idea being that somewhere there was a different world from this world in which it was the home to the perfect form of everything that this world had, which was just an imperfect copy, a shadow, if you will, of the real, of the original in that other world.

So, the idea is that somewhere there is the ideal of a cat of which all earthly cats are just imperfect copies of. Somewhere there is the ideal tree, a form of a tree which all trees are imperfect copies of shadows. So, the Greeks believed that there existed an unseen world which housed all the perfect originals of this world's imperfect shadows. They believed that in this world, in our world, we walk in mere shadows. But somewhere somewhere is true reality. And the writer of Hebrews, I believe most believe it was Paul, taps into this concept in his letter to the Hebrews.

In Hebrews eight, once again he's pointing to the Old Testament system of law as he is here in Colossians. And he's speaking in particular of the Old Testament high priest. And he says this, chapter eight, verse five. Speaking of the high priest, they serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle, see to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. Here in Hebrews eight, Paul says that the sanctuary, the temple is a copy, a shadow of the real temple that exists in heaven.

And Paul mentions this copy on Earth versus the real in heaven again in chapter nine, verse 23. That is why the tabernacle, listen, and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. The perfect version requiring a more perfect sacrifice. And again, which were all copies of the things in heaven. But the real things are in heaven. And do you know that signs is just beginning to catch up with Paul on this?

London physicist David Bohm, who is recognized to be one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century, said this. Listen closely. He says, this is what science has proved, proved. Tangible reality of our everyday lives is really a kind of illusion. It's like a hologram image which underlines the deeper order of existence, a vast and more primary level of reality outside of our purview that gives birth to all of the objects and appearances which we see and observe in the physical realm. In much the same way that a piece of hologram film gives birth to a hologram.

I read that Albert Einstein when he got into this was so spun by it. And the obvious conclusion that there has to be a God, that he walked away from looking into it further because he didn't want to accept that. Paul Davis, a noted particle physicist, says quote, listen, particle physicist, after research and testing, he said it says as if the entire universe is nothing more than a thought in the mind of God. It's like the entire universe is nothing more than a thought in the mind of God. Listen once again to physicist David Bohm's words.

The tangible reality of our everyday lives is really a kind of illusion. It's a hologram image which underlies the deeper order of existence, a vast and more primary level of reality outside of our purview that gives birth to all of the objects and appearances which we see and observe in the physical world. Quantum physicist Freeman Dyson said this, quote, I think it's safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics. Although it is unquestionably correct. And the reason is because science is proven, is verifiable over and over and over. It reacts the same way every time.

That's what science looks for. So, although they don't understand it, they've proven it to be true. He says, I think all those safe to say no one understands quantum mechanics, although it is unquestionably correct. Listen, it reflects a reality beyond space and time, the real reality. Shadow versus reality. And so that's Paul's point in Colossians 2:17. One more time. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Paul echoes the same theme in Hebrews chapter 10, one more reference. He says, for since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year make perfect those who draw near.

And God sprinkles this idea of shadows throughout the Old Testament. In Job chapter eight, verse nine, says, for we are but we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on Earth are a shadow. Job 14, we blossom like a flower then wither, like a passing shadow we disappear quickly. First Chronicles 29, we are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on Earth are passing, are like a passing shadow. Gone so soon without a trace. In Psalm 144, verse four, some of you are familiar with this.

Man is a breath. His days are like a passing shadow. You say, so how does this all apply to me? It's simply this, that this present life is in reality only a dream, a shadow, a poor facsimile of the world which is yet to come, of the life which is yet to come. The world around us clamors saying that this world is reality and heaven is a dream or hell is a dream. Whereas in reality, in reality, as quantum physics, particle physics has confirmed this world is a dream. And the world beyond this world is reality.

And as I said, quantum physics has confirmed that and proven it. They don't understand it, but they proven it true. And here is the obvious truth. 100 years from now, we will all realize that our life back here on Earth really truly was only a shadow, a vapor, a dim foretaste, a poor facsimile of the real life that God had planned for us in heaven. You know, I I this isn't in my notes, but I think of this. You know, it says that Jesus God prepare a place for us. And I think every time we talk about heaven, this is why I picture Jesus seated by the right hand of God the Father.

Every time we talk about heaven, I picture Jesus with a big smile on his face going, just wait. Oh, just wait. Just wait. You have no idea. You have no idea what I have planned for you. Just wait. It's so fun to hear you guys talk about it. But I'm going to blow you away. What I have prepared for you is so outside of the realm of what you can conceive. You will see that this was just a shadow, a very poor facsimile of things to come. But remember what was probably the primary heresy during the first 300 years of the church, it was gnosticism.

And remember, they taught that Jesus was just an apparition, a non-reality, a non-matter, non-substance shadow. And Paul's response to that notion, that heresy is this, you have it completely upside down. In fact, Christ is the reality. Christ is the perfect original and everything else is a shadow. And speaking of the Old Testament law again, Paul says this in verse 17, these are a shadow of the things to come that were to that were to come. The reality, however, is found in Christ. Moving on to verse 18, it says that no one disqualify you insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous minds.

Here Paul addresses three other false teachings. Number one, asceticism, which we will define in just a moment. Number two, the worship of angels. And three, giving credence, giving credibility to supposed visions by men about these lofty things. Now asceticism, New Living Translation says pious self-denial, New King James says false humility. Asceticism is defined as severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence typically for religious reasons. It's from the Greek word which means exercise, training, or practice, asceticism. William Barclay, the commentator, says this, quote, the gnostics considered all matter to be evil. We've talked about that before.

So, if matter is evil and then the body is evil, and if the body is evil, then two opposite conclusions can be arrived at. First, since the body is evil, it doesn't matter what you do with it. Being evil, it can be used or abused in any way because it makes no difference. It's evil. Or the other side is since the body is evil, it must be kept down. It must be beaten and starved and every single impulse chained down. If you've done any reading on church history, you know that this has taken place throughout the history of Christianity.

Wrongly so, even up until today in the Philippines, where they beat themselves on certain holidays because that's how they show their devotion to God. Asceticism. And it is this second view, this rigid asceticism that Paul is addressing here. And yet at the same time, we know that Jesus said it makes no difference what a man eats or drinks. And we know that God confirmed that to Peter in Acts 10, when Peter had a vision of a sheep descending down from heaven filled with all kinds of prohibited animals. And God said, can eat of any things.

That broke that kosher taboo. Now I could give you a lot of examples to the last 2,000 years from people whipping themselves, beating themselves to nuns, putting sharp stones in their shoes. But to show you how crazy asceticism can get, to give you one example that to me is above all the others in audacity is the stylites. Stylites comes from the Greek word stylos, which is pillar, stiletto heels, pillar. And these are men and women, the stylites, who lived and stood at the top of pillars for decades as a form of self-denial. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus in 1456 speaks of a stylite who stood upright for many years absorbed in contemplation without ever lying down.

Theodoret claimed that he had seen a hermit who had stood for 10 years in a tub suspended in mid-air from poles. One stylite, Alypius, after standing upright, listen, for 53 years found his feet no longer able to support him. But instead of descending from his pillar, he instead laid down on his side and spent the remaining 14 years of his life top of that pole in that position. 67 years he lived on top of the pole. Roger Collin in his book Early Medieval Europe, you're going to like this one. This is hard to believe, but if you know the nature of man, it's not hard to believe.

Roger Collins in his book Early Medieval Europe said that in some cases two or more pillar saints of differing theological viewpoints would build their towers within yelling distance of each other and then would argue with one another from the top of their columns. That's not too hard to believe knowing the nature of man as it is. Putting all that flesh on top of a pole and then then still yielding to it. In recent centuries, although this form of asceticism has become virtually extinct, there is yet today in modern-day Georgia a monk of the Orthodox church who's lived on top of the cathedra pillar for 20 years, coming down twice a week.

This pillar is a natural rock formation jutting upward from the ground to a height of approximately 140 ft. He's been up there for 20 years. Now before we laugh at them too loudly or judge them too harshly, have you ever fallen into the lie that God loves you more or is more inclined to turn his ear to you if you give something up that's dear to you? Like, oh God, I'll never mow on a Sunday again if you let the Phillies win this weekend. Deals with God that if I give something up, it gets me points with God.

If I sacrifice in some way, it gets me God. It gets me favor with God. Now are we to deny our flesh now? But we do that for our benefit, not for God's benefit. Or I told this example before. I had a good friend that got radically saved in his 30s. He was probably 35 years old. He was single, attending a church Bible study. And he said, Tom, he loved to play hockey, ice hockey. He gave up hockey. I said, why'd you give up hockey? He said, I think I liked it too much. I said, what do you mean you liked it too much?

Oh, I said I think I think I think God didn't want me to like something that much. And I said, well, did it interfere with church? Oh, no. Bible study? No, no. I just think I liked it. He's single. I said, listen, that's not God. God doesn't want to take things away from you that you enjoy just for the sake of you suffering or not enjoying it. That's not God. You know, in Ecclesiastes, Solomon said, young man, take in everything you want to do. Just remember you have to give account to God for all that you do.

Enjoy life. Take life in. You know, God is not a killjoy. He does not try to take things away from you the moment you figure out something you really enjoy doing. A lot of people have that misconception of God. Maybe they never say that, articulate that way verbally, but on some inside level, they feel that way. As an example, don't refrain from overeating in attempt to make God love you more. Now that guy ought to refrain from overeating. But we don't refrain from overeating because it'll make God love us more. We refrain simply to obey the commandment against gluttony.

And then Paul addresses the second issue, worshiping of angels, verse 18. Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial, we just looked at, or the worship of angels. Now the worship of angels was excused on the grounds that the law had been given through the ministry of the angels. And therefore, seeing the angels as a sort of middle nature between God and man, presuming that the angels through prayer could be prevailed upon to intercede for man before the throne of God where they appeared regularly. For this reason, it was held that angels could be worshiped probably in the same way during those later centuries.

Prayers were offered up to venerated saints. It's been noted that in the Council of Laodicea, Laodicea, to whom this letter was also sent, the Council of Laodicea, which was held in the fourth century, several canons were passed forbidding quote to leave the church of God and to go away to invoke or seek angels. It's also interesting that this Council of Laodicea, which was 394 AD near Colossae, this letter forbids Christians to leave the church and go away to name angels in secret assemblies, calling this a secret idolatry, apparently connecting it with Jewish influences. Theodoret in the fifth century in his commentary, listen to this, speaks of the existence in his time of small chapels being built to the archangel Michael in the region of Laodicea and Colossae, this very area.

Paul writing well before 100 AD, 200 years later they're still doing this. They built small chapels to the archangel Michael in the region of Laodicea and Colossae and of their popularity, apparently as rivals to the regular Christian church.

Guest (Male): And we're going to pause right here, but we'll pick up next time with more on this third issue that the apostle Paul warns the church about. That and more next time when our teacher Pastor Tom Keller returns to Colossians. You're on Study the Word. Would you like to give this a second listen? Either go to our website at ccleb.com or visit our YouTube page. Simply subscribe to our channel at Calvary Chapel Lebanon, and you can watch our services live or on demand. That includes this series in Colossians. For those interested in a CD copy, call 717 273 5633.

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