The angels encountered by Abraham, by Jacob, and by Lot were mistaken for men, which means that they must have had actual, physical, visible being at that point. In those cases, the Bible refers to them speicifically as "a man" or "men".
Paul says that many have entertained angels unawares, meaning that they must have been mistaken for human at those points, too. So, there is continuity up to at least relatively modern times, and no reason to suspect that may have changed.
So I have to conclude that they can be both physical and non-corporeal, as occasion demands. If that is true of angels, might it not also be true of other spiritual beings?
Jacob initially mistook his angel for a man, physical enough to wrestle with him, but then identified the angel as "God", and it is said that he "wrestled with God", physically. So it seems that angels are, in some way, manifestations of God when they are delivering messages from God. Seemingly something more than just a "mouthpiece for God" when delivering the messages. it seems that, in some way or in some part, they ARE God... or at least to be identified as such.
The nature of angels would be a fascinating area of study I think, and might lend insight into other areas of the spiritual realm.
Healing by a "laying on of hands" does still occur, but it's not as publicized as it once was. I know a man who can do it for others, but cannot do it for himself, which is something of a pity. The power to heal does not come from him, but comes from elsewhere, only through him as a conduit of some sort. He says when the power flows, he can feel it in his hands as a sort of warm, tingling sensation, leaving his hands and going into the target area as if it were a flow of something like electricity, some sort of power.
In regard to several of the "spiritual gifts", when the perfect comes, the imperfect disappears, because there is no further need of it. Certain knowledge destroys the need for faith, and that is not always a good thing.
I personally think there is a reason that science has not been able to verify spiritual things. I think it's because science and religion are two entirely different realms of inquiry, meant and designed to answer different questions. I doubt that science will ever be able to confirm or refute spiritual matters because, as I have often said, God does not jump through hoops for repeatable experiments as if it were some sort of lab rat, and repeatable, verifiable experiments are the bread and butter of science.
So, while technology may be able to capture the occasional bit of evidence, science as a whole will never be able to provide proof, and note that evidence and proof are two different things.
I think it would actually be counter-productive to provide proof of spiritual matters, because then a crucial element - faith - would be destroyed by proof. faith can move mountains, but proof can only move the hearts of skeptics, and those heart might not be supposed to be moved anyhow.
Therefore, faith is superior to proof, and should be sought all the more than it.
.
Paul says that many have entertained angels unawares, meaning that they must have been mistaken for human at those points, too. So, there is continuity up to at least relatively modern times, and no reason to suspect that may have changed.
So I have to conclude that they can be both physical and non-corporeal, as occasion demands. If that is true of angels, might it not also be true of other spiritual beings?
Jacob initially mistook his angel for a man, physical enough to wrestle with him, but then identified the angel as "God", and it is said that he "wrestled with God", physically. So it seems that angels are, in some way, manifestations of God when they are delivering messages from God. Seemingly something more than just a "mouthpiece for God" when delivering the messages. it seems that, in some way or in some part, they ARE God... or at least to be identified as such.
The nature of angels would be a fascinating area of study I think, and might lend insight into other areas of the spiritual realm.
Healing by a "laying on of hands" does still occur, but it's not as publicized as it once was. I know a man who can do it for others, but cannot do it for himself, which is something of a pity. The power to heal does not come from him, but comes from elsewhere, only through him as a conduit of some sort. He says when the power flows, he can feel it in his hands as a sort of warm, tingling sensation, leaving his hands and going into the target area as if it were a flow of something like electricity, some sort of power.
In regard to several of the "spiritual gifts", when the perfect comes, the imperfect disappears, because there is no further need of it. Certain knowledge destroys the need for faith, and that is not always a good thing.
I personally think there is a reason that science has not been able to verify spiritual things. I think it's because science and religion are two entirely different realms of inquiry, meant and designed to answer different questions. I doubt that science will ever be able to confirm or refute spiritual matters because, as I have often said, God does not jump through hoops for repeatable experiments as if it were some sort of lab rat, and repeatable, verifiable experiments are the bread and butter of science.
So, while technology may be able to capture the occasional bit of evidence, science as a whole will never be able to provide proof, and note that evidence and proof are two different things.
I think it would actually be counter-productive to provide proof of spiritual matters, because then a crucial element - faith - would be destroyed by proof. faith can move mountains, but proof can only move the hearts of skeptics, and those heart might not be supposed to be moved anyhow.
Therefore, faith is superior to proof, and should be sought all the more than it.
.