|
Heaven
(1) |
Rev.
Langerak is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids,
Michigan
In the beginning God
created the heaven (Gen.
1:1). Actually, He created three (II Cor. 12:2).
He fashioned two physical heavens called firmament (Gen.
1:8) —the first, an inner atmosphere or sky (Deut.
33:26), and the second, a vast outer space. No chaotic wreckage from a big
bang, they are the glorious artistry of the Lord’s fingers, which carefully
measured and spread them out the second day (Job 9:8;
Is. 40:12). The heavens praise God, declare His righteousness, and continually
tower over earth as an irrefutable witness to His glory and handiwork (Ps.
89:5; 50:6; 19:1). They are also important pedagogues, especially
concerning the third heaven, a spiritual space called
Able tutors are these physical heavens in the school of wisdom (Ps.
19:1-3). They teach that, as to its quality, heaven is transcendent to
everything earthly. Its place is higher and glory far above (Eph.
4:10; Job
22: 12). Its space is immeasurable, its inhabitants innumerable (Heb.
11:12). Its substance is better and more enduring (Heb.
10:34). Its darkness is absolute (Ex.
10:21), yet its light brightens the world (Gen.
1:15). And its life is everlasting (John
6:51). Even more so is the transcendence of its Creator, who makes heaven
His holy habitation (Ps.
19:6). The Lord measures it with a span, numbers its creatures, and calls
them by name (Ps.
147:4). He travels its length (Ps.
19:6), fills its immensity (Jer. 23:24), but it
cannot contain Him (I
Kings 8:27). Though His mercy is as high as heaven is above the earth, His
glory is higher still (Ps.
103:11; 148:13).
Yet, wonderfully near is
heaven. Even with feet firmly planted on earth, one can breathe its life, see
its light, feel its warmth, hear its testimony, and enjoy its blessings. Though
in heaven, God is not very far from us (Acts
17:27). From heaven He speaks often to men (Mark
3:17). In an instant, His heavenly hosts can appear (Luke
2:13-15). Through windows in heaven, the Lord pours out precious things
from His treasure—rain, snow, dew, bread, even mercy and truth (Mal.
3:10; Deut.
28:12; 33:13; Ps.
57:3). But from those same windows, He also sends judgment. Heaven hears,
witnesses, and records the iniquity of men, whose sins reach up unto it (Ex.
17:14; Deut.
4:26; Rev.
18:5). In righteousness the Lord looks down under the whole heaven and
tries the children of men (Job
28:24; Ps.
85:11; 11:4). He hears their blasphemy against Him, His home, and them that
dwell in heaven (Rev.
13:6). Especially, the Lord hears the cries of His own oppressed children.
He rides upon the heaven to their aid (Deut.
33:26), sees their hands lifted up toward Him, smells the sweet savor of
their heavenly conversation, and delivers them (Neh.
9:27; I
Kings 8:22; 8:30; Phil. 3:20). So, from heaven His voice thunders down and
He sends darkness, tempest, flood, hail, fire and brimstone (II
Sam. 22:14).
Although very near, there
is a thick veil and impassible gulf fixed between heaven and earth (Heb.
9:3; Luke
16:26). It is the dark shroud of man’s flesh, foolishness, sin, and guilt
under the law (Rom.
1:23; Eph.
2:14-15). It is the deep chasm between mortality and immortality, corruption
and incorruption, natural and spiritual, dishonor and glory (I Cor. 15:43ff.). Thus, one can stare a lifetime into space,
soar through the clouds, and launch a thousand rockets, but never see heaven (John
3:3). He can have righteousness like the Pharisees, own the whole world,
and be greatest among men, but never enter heaven (Matt.
18:1; 19:23). In fact, no man has ascended up to heaven, for flesh and
blood cannot live there (John
3:13).
To see heaven a man must be
born from above. To enter, he must become as a little child. To receive its
blessings, feel its power, bear its image, and enjoy its life, a man must be
changed, heaven must come down, the gulf bridged, and veil rent. So from the
windows of heaven, God has sent His Son, who is Lord above all (I Cor. 15:47-51; John
3:31). The stairway to heaven, passage to the Father, and heavenly bread of
life, He blesses us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (John
1:51; 6:33; 14:6; Eph.
1:3). Jesus has not only come down, but by His own blood broken down the
partition and entered through the veil, having obtained eternal redemption, and
again passed into the heavens to appear now in the presence of God for us (Heb.
4:14; 9:24).
... to be continued.
A Word
Fitly Spoken Rev. Bill Langerak
Rev. Langerak is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in
Grand Rapids,