God, the Founder of Realms: Finding Our Place in a Hierarchy of Holiness

“Yours are the heavens—indeed, yours is the earth; the world and its fullness—you founded them.”--Psalms 89:11

The psalmist makes a bold claim here: everything belongs to God. Not just the visible world—the heavens too. Not just the dirt beneath our feet, but all the structures of reality, from the highest spiritual realms to the most mundane corners of the earth. And all of it—“You founded them.”

That verb, founded, is significant. To found something is to give it shape, purpose, and stability. A founder doesn’t just build a structure; he determines what kind of structure it is and what it is for. If God founded the heavens and the earth, then He is not merely present within creation—He is before it, beyond it, and the cause of its existence.

But there’s more here than just origin. This verse reveals a kind of hierarchical architecture to reality. There are heavens—plural. There is the earth, and then there is tevel—a Hebrew word that often refers to the inhabited world, the civilized realm where humans live. Then comes its fullness, referring to all that fills these realms: people, creatures, systems, spirits, cultures. Reality is layered, nested like concentric circles or stacked like Russian dolls—one realm within another, each established by God.

To help visualize this, think of the United States. You have the federal nation, then the states, then the counties, then towns and cities, neighborhoods, streets, and finally individual properties. Each smaller domain is nested within the boundary of a larger one. Each is governed by laws, jurisdictions, and authorities above it. Psalm 89:11 invites us to see the cosmos in the same way: a hierarchy of realms, with each existing within the boundary of another, all under the authority of God.

We often talk about “the heavens and the earth,” but even that phrase can lose its texture over time. Scripture hints that there are multiple heavens (Paul speaks of a “third heaven” in 2 Corinthians 12:2), suggesting layers of spiritual reality, each more glorious than the last. And just as the sky is within the boundary of outer space, and the earth is within the sky, and land is within the earth, the habitable world is a subset of these layers—each realm nested within another.

And then there is the sea.

In an earlier post, I reflected on how the sea may be associated with the abode of Rahab, a chaos entity sometimes described in Scripture as a dragon or sea monster. While Rahab may dwell in the deep, Psalm 89 reminds us that even the sea belongs to God. If the chaotic forces have any domain, it is a domain on lease, upheld by the very one who established its boundaries. There is no realm where God is not the Founder and rightful King.

Which brings us to a crucial insight: If God founded all the realms, then what is the foundation of all the realms?

The answer can only be: God Himself.

The Hebrew verb “you founded” is not the same as “you are the foundation of.” But the one implies the other. Nothing can be established unless it has something more fundamental to stand on. And since God is the only uncreated being—the only one not “founded” by another—He must be the ultimate foundation of all that exists. He is not contained within the realms He has made, but they are contained within Him. As Paul says,

“In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

So while Psalm 89:11 is describing creation in poetic terms, it is also revealing a deep metaphysical truth: God is not merely the founder of the realms—He is the realm above all realms, the boundary within which all boundaries exist, the ultimate domain in which all others are situated. He permeates every layer of reality, yet transcends them all.

Our Place, Our Responsibility, and Our Hope

So what does this mean for us?

First, it tells us something about our place. We are not at the top. We are inhabitants of tevel—the inhabited world—nested within the earth, nested within the heavens. We are part of a grand structure of realms, established by God’s wisdom and authority. That should humble us. We are not the measure of all things; God is. And yet, among all the realms, it is only in tevel—the human world—that God took on flesh and walked among us. That says something profound about our worth.

Second, it reminds us of our responsibility. If we dwell in a realm founded by God, then we are stewards, not owners. We are called to live with reverence, to seek righteousness, and to honor the divine order that gives our lives structure and meaning. Our actions ripple across realms—moral and spiritual consequences don’t stop at the physical boundary of our choices. We are part of something bigger, and we are accountable to the One who founded it all.

Finally, it gives us hope. Because if God is the foundation of all realms, then no realm can ultimately fall apart. No matter how dark the world becomes, no matter how deep the sea of chaos rages, God remains the unmoved Founder. Even if hell has its gates, they cannot prevail against the kingdom of God. Our hope is not in the stability of the lower realms, but in the absolute sovereignty of the highest One.

When we say “the world is passing away,” we don’t mean that reality is collapsing into nothing—we mean that God is bringing all realms into submission to His perfect will. And when He is all in all, we will find ourselves fully at home—not just within the created realms, but within Him, the One in whom all things hold together.

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Thanks for reading!

I hope this reflection enriched your understanding of God’s sovereignty and helped you see your place in His grand design more clearly. If you found this post meaningful, please consider sharing it with friends, family, or on your social media accounts. You never know who might be encouraged by a deeper glimpse into the foundations of our faith. Grace and peace to you!