CRYSTAL HEAVEN - PART 4

THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2023

I like the expression, "Let us therefore come boldly..." In other words, the author means: All collectively, excluding none of us who are in Christ Jesus, both the Jews and Gentiles. Throne of grace is such a great a benefit to all who believe, and it shows no favouritism to any group, tribe, nation or persons, giving no condition at all, but inviting all men holding forth this light of the gospel to the glory of God's presence.

Reference: Hebrews 4:16 New King James Version (NKJV) "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

As my custom normally is, I want to go straight to the throne room. According to Ezekiel's vision of four figures, they were figures resembling four living beings, with form and appearance of their faces described in this manner: they [each] had the face of a man [in front], and each had the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox on the left side; all four also had the face of an eagle [at the back of their heads]. But here is a striking knowledge about them: Ezekiel 1:12 (AMP) says, "And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went." In other words, they are led by the Spirit, and so they walked in step with the Spirit.

With this, you can see why apostle Paul exhorted us to walk in step with the Spirit. In a nutshell, in Galatians 5:16-18, he said, "If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you"(CEV). The Spirit of God is in charge of divine order in heaven, and that has been a long-lived conception in the throne room. The Spirit has been acting as the vehicle of the heavenly bodies. In fact, that's the reason the four living beings that were seen by Ezekiel the Priest, followed the Holy Spirit bumper to bumper, without turning as they went. Simply put, walking in step with the Spirit has been a lasting tradition in the heavenly offices. All the heavenly hosts or beings are attuned to the harmony of the Spirit.

Beloved, that's how God wants it in heaven and on earth. For the new creation, God Himself said, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you... And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIV). That way, we're rightly positioned to fulfil God's will on earth, just as it is done in heaven by the heavenly hosts. Got it? Whatever you've heard that is going on in heaven is by the leading process of the Holy Spirit, and having been poured out to us on earth, He is set to accomplish the will of God in and through the born again Christian. That's the reason we are instructed to yield to His governing influence completely.

There are fundamental truths we represent on earth that are considered a shadow of the things happening live in heaven, or put it in another way, the shadow of a present-moment reality in heaven. For instance, while we are on earth, the Bible says, "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament..." (Daniel 12:3 NKJV). Here those who are wise actually means, "being spiritually alive and wise" and that refers to the born again Christians. They shall shine like the brightness of the firmament. Now watch this: What is the real firmament in heaven? A sea of glass, clear as crystal.

Like I mentioned before, according to Ezekiel's vision, he communicated it as the firmament above the heads of the living creatures, which bears the colour of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. In addition, John's apocalypse stated it as a glassy sea of shimmering crystal in front of the throne room (Revelation 4:6 VOICE). And that's our assigned "radiance" value in heaven. Put simply, the exact calculation of the intensity of our illumination as the "new creation" is nothing less than the brightness of the firmament which is a sea of glass in the throne room, clear as crystal.

Stay tuned for part 5, to gain a rudimentary insight into the significant nature of Jesus' speech which says, "let your light so shine before others, that they may see your goodness." Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Hebrews 8:1; Psalm 45:6; Psalm 103:19; Revelation 4:2.

Guided Prayer: Thanks be unto God who has called me into the fellowship of His glorious presence, openly, boldly, and faithfully. And I'm grateful for the wonderful things He prepared for me at the throne of grace, which prosper my spirit, soul and body, in line with the clear knowledge of the gospel truth, in Jesus' Name, Amen!