You know this physical universe consists of many realms... it's hard for me to explain, but I'll give it a try. There is life on earth, but there are different realms to this life; there is the microscopic life forms, we can not even see it, but we know it's there and has a very necessary and important function. We cannot communicate or relate in any intelligent way with it, nor enter it's realm.
There is the realm of the insects, we can see them and they serve an important function as well, all things are interconnected. But we cannot communicate with them as they are not intelligent creatures with comprehension, as we know it. They may live out their whole life (only days, sometimes only hours) on a single tree limb and not even have awareness of the world around them.
There is a realm of plant life, I include them because they do have a life cycle. These have no awareness, but they play a necessary even vital role for higher life forms.
There is the aquatic realm, where this form of life must live in water to survive. This is a whole world unto itself, with some forms being plant like, others being insect and still others animal. We can communicate with the higher life forms there to a degree, like dolphins and whales. But we are incompatible and only enter their realm as an outsider, it is a hostile environment to us.
There is the realm of the air/atmosphere of the foul or winged creatures. Those creatures live along side us, but they are very different. We can communicate to a degree, but we certainly cannot relate intellectually and are totally incompatible in the way they live.
Then there is the realm of the mammals, but there is a distinct division here between human and animals. Both forms are aware of one another and can communicate in some ways. But only humans have real intelligence and emotions, animals live by instinct and another thing is animals do not know/understand they will die. So animals live by instinct and though we can train them, it does not make them intelligent, as humans have very different thinking than animals. Animal instincts bind them to their own kind, as human kind are bound together to their own kind and God declares it an abomination to even try to cross kinds (Lev 18:23). So there is a clearly different realm for people and animals, though we do live in close contact with the animal realm, we do not actually enter their realm, become as they are, nor they ours.
Now there is the realm of outer space, it is not a place that we can easily enter and even relate to, it is certainly hostile to us. We can enter that realm to a degree, but only with extreme measures to keep us alive. I want to think of it as more of a great art work of God. He has made the whole universe His canvas and now He has even given man inventions (telescopes) to get vivid pictures of what's out there.
Psa 19:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse proclaims His handiwork.
What I am trying to get across is that there are many physical realms, others that I could not even think to mention, but these are domains for the different 'kinds' of life that God made for it. Man is very special that we are able to learn and know about these other realms, but most of the other domains we are very limited to enter. We were created to live on earth, as the immediate environment around it was specially designed to meet our needs. Other realms are designed for it's inhabitants.
With all these physical realms for the life in this world/universe, we also know there is a whole other kind for a different type of existence, the spiritual realm. I think we can understand it better, by comprehending all these other physical realms, that are not designed for us to enter. Some are designed so tiny, infinitesimally small, yet others are more vast then we can imagine. Now the spiritual is there, but beyond our reach as physical being. But Paul got an actual glimpse in a vision and saw things that was absolutely unexplainable.
2Co 12:4 that he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not allowed for a man to utter.
So we are in the physical realm/world for a time, getting an experience of good and evil, stage 1. But we are used to it, after all it is all we know, so we tend to cling to it. But it is not our real and final home.
2Co 5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
v. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,
So this physical tent/body is temporary, this world and not even outer space is our goal/destination. Our hope is to move beyond this physical, to a better realm of being. We too, like Paul, are given a glimpse through the Spirit indwelling. I have confidence that the spiritual realm is as glorious as it is depicted in the Scriptures and it will exceed this physical existence as far as the heavens are above the earth.
1Cor 2:9 But as it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard," nor has it entered into the heart of man, "the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
mercy, peace and love
Kat