Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
1. God created “The Heavens”
When God started the Creative process the first thing that he did was “The Heavens”. We don’t have a great understanding about this and for some this is still a mystery. The universe as it exists was not produced by some cosmic accident. The conditions of creation were intricately planned and considered. Some Scholars say that Genesis 1 can be translated like this,
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the universe.”
Above the Earth Scientists identified 7 different layers of what we call the Atmosphere.
I personally believe that God not only created the physical heaven but he also created an invisible place in the real of the Spirit that we call “Heaven” and that most religions identify as the dwelling place of God and the final destiny of our afterlife existence.
Yes I also think that in the beginning God created the Universe (before he created planet Earth) however I believe there is something deeper hiding in this verse.
The study of Angels is called Angelology and according to Old scriptures that we call the Apocrypha there are Seven Heavens. I don’t want to present this to you as part of the Bible or as Scriptural truth because it’s not but there is always room fro some extra knowledge…
Different theologians identified what is called by different names:
- Seven heavens and the 7 hells
- The 7 celestial mansions and the 7 palaces of darkness
- The 7 heavens and the seven earths.
They say that the seven heavens stack one over the top of each other in a straight line. This is not talking about the 7 layers of our atmosphere but Spiritual places that are ruled by angels. Some of these angels are Godly and submit to Jehovah and some are fallen angels and are under the command of Satan.
I just hate to disappoint you but God didn’t create mankind first…He did however start by creating “The Heavens” and all the angelic beings that exist in different realms of space and time. The heavens are far greater than the Earth and much beyond our present level of understanding. Our mind cannot grasp well what we don’t see or feel but we all have a desire to one day leave Earth and move to all everything started…”The Heavens”
Christian Theology doesn’t mention 7 heavens. This is a belief of other religious groups connected to Judaism and to Islam. I really don’t know if there are really just 7 or one million. This is not the goal of this message, but I would like to tell you that there is more tan one heaven. The Hebrew Bible does not mention third heaven or the number of heavens.
1. God can choose to Reveal Heaven to some of us
An Epistle of the Apostle Paul, included in the New Testament, contains an explicit reference to the Third Heaven. In a letter to the Corinthian church he writes, "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) The Greek says "caught away", not "caught up" possibly reflecting Jewish beliefs that Paradise was somewhere other than the uppermost heaven.
Christians, Jews and Muslims believe in the “Third Heaven” as the place where God will take us after our death. Why is it mentioned as “third”? Because we have the first whish is the atmosphere, the second is the inter-galactic space and the third is a spiritual realm that goes beyond our physical senses. So our main earthly religions disagree in many things but they all agree in some very important points, being one of them the existence of multiple “Heavens”.
2. Heaven’s Gates
Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, was fleeing from his twin brother Esau, who had vowed to kill him. Esau was furious with Jacob because Jacob had stolen Esau's birthright, the Jewish claim to inheritance and blessing.
On his way to his relative's house at Haran, Jacob lay down for the night near Luz. As he was dreaming, he had a vision of a ladder, or stairway, between heaven and earth. God's angels were on it, ascending and descending.
Genesis 28
12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “ Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
God has different ways to reveal heaven. One of the things that I learned is that he will never reveal himself to satisfy our curiosity but because he has very specific plans and tasks for us. We may think that what we do is not important or that God is too big to be concerned about you but I have news for you. God loves you and chose to welcome you in His Kingdom. If you put God-first in your heart Heaven’s Gates will open and you will experiment His goodness.
3. Make God your King
Matthew 6
7 “ And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “ Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
In our system we choose our own rulers, or at least we think we do. A President or a Prime minister will have the capacity to be in charge of a Nation. A King as a different capacity than a president because his family has dominion rights that pass from generation to generation. A King is not elected and God is Sovereign. He has no beginning and he will have no end. When you declare to God that he has complete everlasting rule and dominion over your life you can than pray like Jesus did and expect the powers of heaven to come down the ladder and cross the Heavenly Gates.
You have a choice to make between Heaven and Earth. Between living with your mind set on the things of Earth or placing God on the Throne of your life.
4. Heaven will provide for you
1 Corinthians 15
47 The first man (Adam) was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man (Jesus) is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
God Created Heavens first and then he created the Earth. Man was then created from the dust and in Adam we started our existence in this planet. At the right time of human history God did something very special. He opened a Gate to Heaven through Jesus Christ His son. He is called “the second man” or “the second Adam”. If we carry his image we will inherit something very special; “The Kingdom of God”.
The man od dust is worried about material things, paying the bills, what to eat and what to wear. Jesus (the second man) puts it this way;
Matthew 6
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘ What shall we eat? ’ or ‘ What shall we drink? ’ or ‘ What shall we wear? ’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Conclusion
If you put God first and decide to seek His Kingdom He will provide for you. God cannot lie and he promised to take care of us. His Angels are going up and down to bring his blessings over our lives. Sometimes we are tempted to worry and we focus too much on petty things but God, your father wants to receive your worship. Remember that the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable. Set things straight and move your priorities to a higher ground. Put Heaven first and God will bring blessings that you cannot even imagine.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
God gave the priority to Heaven. First he created heaven, then he created Earth. We just need to apply this principle to our daily life. Heaven comes first!
Matthew 13
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
We need to be like this man the “sells all that he has” in order to buy the field. In order to become God’s Children we cannot have one foot in the world and another in His Kingdom. With Jesus is “all or nothing”. You can live your life building wealth and treasures but at the end you will only be left with your soul. No one can serve two masters! Today you have a decision to make and I want to challenge you to put God first in your life.
When you think about your life what comes first? Is it you job, your wife, your boyfriend, your studies, and your hobbies? Is it the TV show or the hockey tournament, dancing with stars or the latest soap opera? God knows that you need all these things and he doesn’t want to take that away from you but he is knocking at the door of your heart and waiting for you to put Him first. (Altar Call)
