Many people think that seeing is believing. As a result, they hold that their never having seen supernatural beings with their own eyes disproves the existence of the supernatural.

Scripture, however, provides several remarkable passages that show that not seeing anything does not disprove the existence of the supernatural.

Balaam and His Donkey

Numbers 22:21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

For some time, Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord, but Balaam did not. Had someone asked Balaam whether there was an angel before him, he would have responded that there was not.

Only when the Lord opened his eyes did he see the angel of the Lord. Balaam’s not seeing the angel earlier was not proof that there was no angel present.

Elisha and His Servant

2 Kings 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Faced with a dire threat, Elisha’s servant only saw the enemies’ forces surrounding them. Only after Elisha had prayed did the Lord open the servant’s eyes to see the supernatural forces that also were all around them. His not having seen them earlier was not at all an indication that they were not there.

Daniel and Those with Him

Daniel 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; 5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

Although Daniel saw a profound vision, the men with him did not see it even though it was real. Had they testified that they did not see anything at that time, their testimony would not have been proof that the supernatural does not exist.

Paul and Those with Him

Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus

When the Lord appeared to Paul and those who were with him, only Paul saw the Lord. Although the men who were with him did hear a voice, they did not see anyone.

Even though the Lord was present with them all, they did not see Him, as Paul did. Their testifying that they did not see anyone would have been a faulty testimony that no one was there with them.

Conclusion

In four explicit passages, Scripture reveals that various people did not see anything when there were supernatural beings actually present with them. These passages show that not seeing anything does not disprove the supernatural.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.