“Things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and heart cannot fully know…”
If you’ve been in church life for any stretch of time, I have no doubt in my mind that you’ve heard this verse quoted. It’s a great verse, except it’s usually used to lump together everything we don’t understand to reconcile things in our minds. Or it’s used to explain some benefit we will receive in the sweet by-and-by that we can’t have now. The verse in question is found in 1st Corinthians, which paraphrases a verse out of Isaiah. As we are known to do, we chunk this verse out without finishing the verse and putting it in context. In context, it is one of the most pregnant, loaded verses in the Word in my humble opinion. What if we looked at it for ourselves?
9 but just as it is written,
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 [d]For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
Did you catch it? Do you see what it says?
FOR TO US (as in, you and I) God revealed them (as in those things which eye hasn’t seen. Ear hasn’t heard, etc.) through the Spirit! Because the Spirit searches and has access to all things, even the depths of God. See John 14 and 16. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to disclose ALL things.
Let me say it plainly, you can know ALL THINGS. If it exists in God, and you have the Holy Spirit, you can know anything that there is to know.
The key is right there in the verse – through the spirit. Of course in the “natural”, there are natural limitations. In the “natural”, there is plenty that eye has not seen, and ear has not heard. In the natural, you can’t know all that God has prepared for those who love Him. You can’t know all things. But you are no longer a natural being. You are a supernatural being. You can’t know all things in the “natural”, but you don’t have to. That’s why the verse shows you that all these things are revealed to you through the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a difference-maker. The verse shows us that those things spoken about in days past, the mystery, the unseen, is NOW revealed through the Spirit. You don’t have to know everything yourself, instead, the one who does now lives within you!
Our incomplete understanding and apprehension of this verse lead to us chalking up confusing things to the sovereignty of God without pursuit instead of seeing the verse for what it is – a limitless invitation to know the things of God! We put off the invitation to a time we can’t see and it robs us of seeing what we need to see NOW.
In every cult or false religion, there is some secret knowledge that only the select few, the elite, can know. There is a hidden knowledge that the average person has no hope of ever accessing. This verse makes it clear that regular people who have access to the Holy Spirit can know it all. These false religions only let a select few in on the hidden knowledge for the sake of control. The Kingdom is anti-control. God gives this open invitation to anyone who has the Spirit of God. Wow.
This verse is so loaded, it’s scary. We all have the same access, we just don’t all have the same apprehension. I wish I could adequately explain all the Holy Spirit has for you in this moment. There is SO MUCH AVAILABLE TO YOU.
Yet, the first thought we usually have when we have a problem is to run to a person. The Holy Spirit within you literally knows ALL THINGS. Hello!
There is an incredible amount of insight to be entrusted if we would just get to know Holy Spirit. If we could develop a level of relational trust with the Holy Spirit that we could be a safe place for the information, there is no limit to what will be shared with us. Can you be trusted with the information? The issue of access is settled, so can I be trusted?
My wife and I recently finished “The Chosen”, and I was particularly captured by the portrayal of the woman at the well. Why did the Father reveal the information about her and the 5 husbands to Jesus? Because He could. Stop and think on that for a second. Because He could. What do I mean? The Father shared that sensitive detail to Jesus because He knew that He would not leverage that information against her, but would use it to reveal His heart. Jesus could be trusted with the information because He was about His Father’s business.
I can literally know all things. I have the invitation. It’s all legal. The question is not whether I can, it’s whether I can be trusted with what is revealed. Will I do with that information what Jesus would?
I once ministered to a high schooler outside of a psychic fair as I was led by the Holy Spirit and pinpointed through word of knowledge an exact moment in his life that changed everything. He said to me these exact words, “Because you told me exactly what was in my past, I’m starting to believe you about my future”. These few details opened up everything for him. It is much like the woman at the well. Jesus pinpointed one detail of her life, and she told everyone, “this man told me all the things I have done.” It may have been one detail, but it was everything to her. What will you do with the information?
1 John 2:27 says this : “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things…”
All really means all, I promise. We are afraid to step out when we have the Spirit within us who knows ALL things. How would evangelism change for you if you really believed this? There are deeper things to be revealed if only we had the character/trust/anchor to handle it. I don’t know about you, but I want to be trusted with the deeper things. There is a level of trust available where we can know the thoughts and intents of the heart, just as Jesus did. What if we prophesied from that place continually? The world would have to take notice. Don’t put it off into the future. You can know now.
All things are available to you. You can know ALL THINGS. What if we believed that? What if we developed such a chemistry with the Holy Spirit that we could be trusted with every sensitive detail because we respond like Jesus every time? It’s available – I promise.
Press in. Clear the fog. There is more for you to know. The Holy Spirit is eager to show you. Believe.
Those things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard…you can know them through the Spirit. What will you do with that?
I am a Pastor, Author, and Teacher based out of Kansas City, MO. I am passionate about the message of the Kingdom, Grace, Healing and the renewing of the mind. I have been following God since age 18 when I was radically transformed and inserted into revival. I have learned some hard lessons and seen some wonderful fruit in the Kingdom, and my goal is to impart wisdom and grace to you to walk in fullness. I have a walking miracle for a wife and three amazing boys.