Heaven Past Present Future

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ENCOURAGEMENT TO ETERNAL FOCUS IN UNITY AND FELLOWSHIP OF THE GOSPEL

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2 Peter 3:8

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. NIV

Existence without time is certainly impossible even for God. In the verse just considered the attribute of time is related to God. Whether we like it or not God does have some limits. It is impossible for God to fellowship with sin due to His Holiness. We could list God’s limits taught in Scripture endlessly. Yet many want God to exist timeless. No Scripture supports this long thought teaching about God.

In every domain and dimension of the kingdom of heaven a form of time must exist. Since God does have forward motion in actions that once committed are past unchangeable history He must have time. If God the Father was completely disassociated with time He could change the past or the future in the same action because past action would be the same as present and future action. In this type of reality there would be no history of past events because past does not exist. No action would be secure or permanent. Events could be in a constant state of change. In a timeless reality God could change the weather to rain and keep King David off the roof on the day David saw Bath Sheba because God did not like the outcome of the resulting events. Nowhere is Scripture are we told God can change a committed event or action of His past. Time must exist if an action committed is unchanging in history past.

Time dilation allows God the Father’s knowledge of the creation’s past, present and future. It explains His omniscient ability over man’s time. Time variation makes possible His past as our past, present and future.  This is possible because God the Father is not here in our creation’s time. Separated from our boundaries of time, in God’s time perspective it has all already happened. Events in this part of creation occur in a slower energy of motion enabling God’s view and knowledge of events of the separated creation over just a short period of His time. In reality God has seen it previously from His time through the Holy Spirit’s presence here in creation. In Chapter 9- The New Heaven and The New Earth once this creation is reunited through the completed work of Jesus Christ with God the Father – this time dilation between the creation and God the Father will no longer exist. This does not mean there will be no time, but that everywhere in God’s kingdom time will be one again with God through Jesus Christ.

One day those trusting in Christ as Savior will live in heaven with the Father of Lights. In Scripture, God the Father as Light is constant without variableness or shadow. By no accident, amazingly God’s substitution lights are not relative or changing either.  Lights velocity is always the same no matter what the relative point of reference. Living at God’s relative time existence does not mean “no time” - but finallyexisting at God’s time.

Relative time theory[6] when applied to creation enables both old and new theories of creation to be correct. Relative to God the Father’s perspective of time in heaven as seen in the theme of Genesis it took just six days. Relative to man’s “under the sun” view of time as seen by many scientists it must have taken much longer – perhaps billions of years still support a supernatural creation.

Before the present time variation with God, for an eternity in the past, heaven must have operated in oneness of time in the glorious Light of God as its Creator. There were “angels” and other created beings known as “morning stars” with authority, power, responsibility, talents and beauty that obediently served God’s will in every way. These special beings sang and praised the works of the Father done by the Son as observed before them. As Scripture shares Moses historical theme of “beginning” covers a broad era as measured according to our participation heavenly matters.

What transpired in the creation that varied our time from God’s perpetual time where God can foreknow all creation’s time at once? Why did Jeremiah say in his vision of past creation the “light was gone?” Why even with substitute lights of creation does Paul say in Ephesians 6:12 now we are in “this dark world?” Why is it only Jesus has ever seen the Father among all people that have ever lived? Adam and Eve did not get to see God the Father before they sinned. Why is that so? Why can we not see the actual Light of God today, in this “present heaven” as Peter called it? Why did God need substitutes for His glorious Light in the Genesis creation whereas in the New Heaven and New Earth He is the only Light and all energy of existence comes from Him? Why would one die if brought into the presence of the Light of our Father? All this leads to the following important question of this chapter…

                             WHO TURNED OUT THE LIGHT?

The Angel of Light

The Scripture in many places tells us of an angel who was one of the special created beings of God’s past. Angels are messengers or spirits of another dimension invisible to our present senses except under special occasions. They were created below the dominion of God the Son and serve the saints in special ways as shown by the writer of the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 1:4-9,13-14

4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."  7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."  8 But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."   

13 To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? NIV

Long after Moses was given the historical account of man in Genesis other inspired authors tell of an angel that had part in a catastrophic event in heaven. This affair caused God to pour out His wrath of judgment in heaven sometime before the creation of this present earth. According to Jeremiah[7] this judgment was not “total ruin” or a “full end.” Several Scriptures describe the one who changed the “beautiful gardens” of God’s kingdom.

Isaiah 14:12

12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! NIV

God by inspiration gives a title of description using “dawn” and “morning” perhaps alluding to him being one of God’s earliest creations.  His responsibility according to Paul was ruler of the kingdom of the air.

Ephesians 2:1-2

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. NIV

This creature’s position in the angelic kingdom was first as a “ruler.”[8]  He probably had charge of the material creation of God. From the Apostle Paul’s title description using the term “air”[9] this angel’s responsibility over the creation was as essential as unconscious breathing is to our human body. His work enabled the material creation to be energized with living activity. According to Jeremiah this early creation was comparable to a beautiful garden. Lucifer was probably responsible for the vibrant beautiful function of life there.

This angel known by many names such as “Lucifer” or “the devil” as we know him is not a stupid red being with pointed tail and ears who has beady eyes and sinister appearance. He was one of the guardian cherubim that protected the holiness and purity of God the Father. Ezekiel is thought in his lamentation to figuratively portray the King of Tyre as a type of this special angel of God.

Ezekiel 28:12-17

12 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "`You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. NIV

For some period of time in creation past this angel existed as part of God’s beautiful perfection. From God’s description Lucifer could not be improved in any way. Every part of his being added up to complete wisdom and beauty. His appearance was something to behold as well – a superior contrast of colors as described by the different stones. The “holy mount of God” speaks of his high position in God’s government of the creation. He “walked among the fiery stones” revealing his access to power from God. He was “ordained” or set apart and prepared for this special purpose in heaven past. God said of him, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created,” testifying for at least some period of time from the day he was created He did God’s will.

Lucifer was created at a specific point of time - “the day he was created.” This again speaks of measurements of God’s past telling us the Eternal lives within the domain of time. Was the day one of the six days recorded in Genesis? Not if he watched the creative actions of the Son as taught in Job. Lucifer functioned as designed from his creation until another dreadful point in God’s past.

The Angelic Choice of Sin in God’s Kingdom

Lucifer and others made a tragic decision sometime after their creation. Lucifer’ decision took place before the written creation of Genesis in recording the history of man’s purpose in God’s plan. As Lucifer oversaw the material kingdom he began to peddle or trade something new. He introduced a concept and idea that had never before entered the heart of a creature of God’s kingdom. The created decided and persuaded others in heaven that he was equal with the Creator. Isaiah speaks of this disastrous choice.

Isaiah 14:12-14

12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." NIV

Scripture tells how some of the angels and stars of God agree with him. The “stars” are a description of God’s angels based on their appearance of light. Unfortunately when Lucifer sinned these angels followed these new sinful thoughts.  In describing historically the ruling power of the devil the Apostle John showed he held “a third of the stars.” These angels had been “flung to the earth” and there assisted him in his evil desires to hinder God’s plan of redemption through Israel to bring forth the birth of His Son.

Revelation 12:3-4

3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. NIV

In Ezekiel’s account of this time he told how Lucifer much like a politician went from angel to angel persuading them to follow his scheme.

Ezekiel 28:15-17

15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. NIV

The Angelic War in God’s Kingdom

Jeremiah mentions God judged sin bringing ruin whereby the material creation became “formless…empty… and dark” for the first time ever. In God’s kingdom there must have been an incredible power of energy involved when God dealt with Lucifer and the other stars of heaven when iniquity was found.  This was not a friendly disagreement tolerated by a God of pluralistic views. Consider John’s revelation inspiring a possible description of this heavenly disagreement. 

Revelation 12:7-9

7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

God calls this disagreement and resulting conflict a “war.” Two disagreeing parties “fought.” John clearly identifies the instigator of this war was “hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” This angel used all his strength to win. John says, “he was not strong enough” to defeat “Michael and his angels.” As powerful as this angel is described in Scripture the force involved in the altercation of these angels had to be great.

Jesus was an eyewitness of this war in heaven. As the seventy-two ministers rejoiced over their newfound power to cast out demons Jesus told them of His experience with Satan in the past.

 Luke 10:17-19

17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. NIV

Satan as “lightening” was cast from heaven and hurled to the earth. The description of lightening illustrates the brightness and noise of thousands of volts of electricity passing through the air to the earth. Imagine the flash and thunderous power. The verbs God uses to describe this action are all words of intense energy– drove, expelled, threw, hurled, cast, fought, fall, lightening, war.

Lucifer was an “angel of light” before his fall and we now know him as “the prince of darkness.” No one in the creation now sees Lucifer as “light.” Lucifer lost his light energy God created for Him.  What happened to all his power and light energy when thrown to the earth? Einstein gave us the equation showing the relationship of energy to mass and light. We know it as E=mc². When Lucifer’s light in God’s judgment was changed to energy it must have been enough to destroy everything. Note how just a little exposure to light can give sunburn. What about when Lucifer’s created light and power was translated to energy? This was not a friendly disagreement where Lucifer nicely left town to prevent a schism in heaven. This flash of destruction in Eden the beautiful garden of God is probably what we see today scientifically as the big bang. Scientists who view the expanding universe from an apparent explosion of energy wonder how it could have happened. God’s description of Lucifer’s fall and violent expulsion just may be the explanation for what is theorized by science today. [See Appendix -Figure 1 - foldout The Fulfillment of the Times foldout].

The Sinful Angels Separation From the Father

Since God the Father cannot fellowship with even the smallest sin He separated Himself from Lucifer and his angels by casting them to the earth. [See Appendix - Figure 1 - foldout The Fulfillment of the Times foldout]. Since the moment of his choice Lucifer has found himself contained apart from the glorious Light of God the Father.

God the Father has not entered this domain of the creation since Lucifer’s fall. The details of this separation are discussed in Chapter 4- Who Will Go For Us? in the picture of the Tabernacle.  Today God the Father abides in what Paul calls the “third heaven” patterned after the Holy of Holies. The cherubim always protect His purity and holiness.Lucifer, as told in the book of Job, may approach below or before the throne in the second heaven and converse with the Lord. These cherubim are always separating Lucifer from the presence of the Father. Jesus as Savior intercedes for sinners that come to God through Him. Praise the Lord! One day the Tabernacle of God will be with men again in the New Heaven and The New Earth as God the Father becomes one again with His creation.

Severance of God the Father from sin is why no one that has ever lived on this earth except Jesus Christ God’s Son has ever seen God the Father. Only God the Holy Spirit and God the Son[10] have visited since that fateful moment in time past. In the model prayer we are taught to pray as recorded in Matthew 6:9,, “Our father which art in heaven…” KJV God is understood in some sense distant from where we live today.

The Scripture, Whose theme embraces God’s use of mankind for redemption, begins with God the Spirit hovered over the ruin. God the Father, separated from sin, could not come. God the Holy Spirit hovers over the creation now overflowed with water.

Genesis 1:2

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. NIV

God the Father now withdrawn from this material dimension of His kingdom approaches through another dimension.  God as a Trinity is also a Spirit.  This characteristic of God enables Him to exist everywhere at once and know all at the same time. God the Holy Spirit hovered over the ruined creation as a bird hovers over her nest of young depicting the great care God felt for the material creation now separated from Him.

God’s severance from sin and darkness of His kingdom resulted in the law of entropy. Apart from God’s life sustaining light energy now the creation proceeds from order to disorder. Scripture calls it the  “bondage to decay.” Newton called it the Second law of Thermodynamics. Things go from order to disorder without God the Father’s presence. The creation is sick apart from God. It is in pain as a woman in labor. Estranged from God every part of the creation gets more disordered. It continues to breakdown and expands losing its energy with time.

Fortunately, God the Father has not relinquished complete control of the kingdom to Satan. God has remained in power governing creation by His wisdom from a distance through the Holy Spirit and His Son. Jeremiah credits the stretching out of the heavens as resulting from God’s power and wisdom. God wisely withdrew from sin to protect Himself from defilement. Later God redeemed back the same creation through procreation with man and sending a Savior.

 Jeremiah 10:12

12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. NIV

The author of Hebrews writes how the material creation wears out like an old garment. This present heaven while laid out by the work of God’s hands still would perish. Even though Genesis calls God’s actions “good” they were not created as perfection to last forever.

Hebrews 1:10-11

10 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. NIV

The creation was an unwilling innocent victim of Lucifer’s sin. The creation “not by its own choice” suffers apart from God losing energy and decomposing. It endures this fate separated from God the Father because of “the will of the one who subjected it”—the regretful willful choice of Lucifer. Paul wrote in Romans about the creations current state.

Romans 8:19-23

19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. NIV

The Angel of Light Not Completely Destroyed

As taught by Jesus in the parable of thewheat and weeds[11] God did not immediately completely destroy the material creation when sin was found. He allows good and evil to coexist in a battle until the harvest of every possible soul is ready and completed. Thus Satan still works as a merchant of evil sowing evil seed until the last soul of this creation is redeemed and at the appointed time God sends angels to reap.

Many Scriptures speak of the current battle between good and evil. A great struggle of engagement rages each and every day. Lucifer now rules this dark world only because God allows this for now. The challenges of war cries, warnings, and battle orders ring from God’s Word in exhortation of the children of God. God wants His readers to understand the real enemy and how to fight against him day to day. As Paul wrote he spoke of this battle and the child of God’s armor. 

                        Ephesians 6:10-14

           10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. NIV 

Lucifer prowls a now dark world looking for opportunities to fill his belly with the destruction of anything that belongs to God while he yet can. Note Peter’s description of Lucifer’s methods.

 1 Peter 5:8-10

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. NIV

Lucifer uses all possible means to frustrate the plans of God. Examples are seen in the material dimension of this world, the spiritual dimension of the angelic world now unseen, and even before the throne of God the Father day and night. Scripture shows how Lucifer uses men for his selfish causes.

John 13:2

The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. NIV

 

John 13:27

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. NIV

God’s children are influenced by the evil one as they serve the Lord. As great as the Apostle Peter was in God’s service he still experienced the influence of Satan.

                        Matthew 16:21-23

           21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." NIV

The angel of God gone astray can delay our answers to prayers and work in the Lord. Daniel had to wait for the understanding he sought until the powers of angelic beings settled the purpose of God.

Daniel 10:12-14

12 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." NIV

The devil is not yet in hell. Hell is not his domain as many comics and stories might make us believe. He contends against everything in the creation that might glorify God.

Job 1:6-12

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, andSatan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." 9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." 12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. NIV

 

Revelation 12:10

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. NIV

From Scripture the darkness now experienced apart from the glorious Light of God the Father was not intended as part of some glorious original progression of an unfinished creation eventually interrupted by the sin of man. It is highly egocentric for man to believe the choice of Adam and Eve separated all creation from the fellowship and Light of God the Father. The darkness of Genesis was not part of the natural process of God’s creative acts. It resulted from action of God the Father but not as a blessing upon the creation.  The light of the creation was willingly turned out long ago in God’s wisdom and judgment upon sin until the fulfillment of times greater purpose – the redemption of the creation. God accomplishes this through the creation of man, procreation with man by the Holy Spirit and ultimate crucifixion of a Savior. In Chapter 9- The New Heaven and The New Earth we shall see God’s Light filling all the creation. The Light of God our Father will be something heavenly to behold as we in Christ enjoy the salvation of God.

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