July 2025 – Wisdom From the Word

Earth Mirroring Heaven

Recently I wrote about Yahweh as the Cloud Rider (http://wisdomfromtheword.ca/the-cloud-rider/ ) and how we also see Jesus also described in scripture as the cloud rider. Here we will look at what He rides on, okay, only briefly, what is important is the idea of earth mirroring heaven. David made a very interesting statement in 1 Chronicles.

¹⁸ and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 28:18 (NKJV)

The context is David describing all the preparations he had made for Solomon so that he could build the temple. The interesting part is his explicit reference to the cherubim over the seat of the ark of the covenant as Yahweh’s chariot.

We see Yahweh on His chariot in 1 Kings. Notice that contrary to what is popularly expressed, Elijah was conveyed to heaven by a whirlwind. The chariot is Yahweh making an appearance on the scene.

¹ And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Kings 2:1 (NKJV)

¹¹ Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 2 Kings 2:11–12 (NKJV)

We also see Yahweh’s chariot in Ezekiel, just without the horses. It is very similar to John’s vision of the throne in Revelation. Thus, we see the tabernacle mirroring heaven. In constructing the tabernacle and the associated objects, Yahweh said to Moses that he was to follow the heavenly pattern.

⁴⁰ And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. Exodus 25:40 (NKJV)

The same idea is reflected in Hebrews where the writer is contrasting Jesus’ eternal priesthood with the priests of Israel.

⁴ For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; ⁵ who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Hebrews 8:4–5 (NKJV)

Lastly, we look at how Jesus’ function in creation.

³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV)

Many modern translations have something like ‘His powerful word’ instead of the phrase ‘word of His power.’ Yet the latter is a more literal and accurate rendering from Greek. The idea is less about the power of His word and more about the continual release of it. Material creation exists because Jesus continually sustains it.

Having presented these ideas, let’s tie them together. Hebrews 8:5 describes the relationship between heaven and earth as the things of earth being, ‘the copy and shadow of the heavenly things.’ The spirit realm is the real realm and the source of everything that we see. Earth, however dimly, is meant to reflect heavenly realities. Just as Eden was the place of His dwelling at the beginning of creation when we look at the end of Revelation (the last two chapters) we see Eden restored but far more gloriously. It is the culmination, the summing up of all things and the final fulfillment of what Jesus instructed us to pray, ‘On earth as it is in heaven.’ The two will become one, fully and finally united. Earth will no longer mirror heaven, it will be transformed and absorbed into heaven. Thus, let us pray with this understanding.

⁹ Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9–10 (NKJV)

Jesus Cares

The statement is easy to say but we need to know it as more than just an intellectual truth. If you have a church background, as a child you probably sang, ‘Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.’ While this is true, we are also created for a genuine relationship with Jesus. In my own experience and in talking with others, theory doesn’t carry the same weight as practical experience. Faith is a starting point but it is meant to be an entry point into something further.

I think of it this way, I can intellectually know Jesus loves me but that is insufficient. I don’t want to just intellectually know that my wife loves me. I know that I have grandchildren, yet I also want to interact and have a relationship with them. In Ephesians 3 Paul highlights the importance of experience in our relationship with Jesus.

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14–21 (NKJV)

There is a lot that could be unpacked in this short passage but we will focus on two key words, one that leads to the other, comprehend and know. Bear in mind Paul is addressing a corporate experience that would obviously lead into an individual one as well. We begin with comprehend, if we think of reading comprehension, it isn’t enough to just read the words, we need to grasp the meaning of whatever we are reading if we are to comprehend it. Similarly, the Greek word which is translated as comprehend means to ‘lay hold of.’ The word translated as know means to ‘recognize’ or ‘perceive.’ Paul was telling the Ephesian believers that he wanted them to comprehend and know something that passes knowledge. That is, his prayer was for an experience of Jesus love, a knowing of the “width and length and depth and height’ of it.

Paul wrote this to those who were already walking with Jesus yet he longed for them to have a deeper encounter. It is similar to his prayer in chapter 1 of Ephesians, praying that we would have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of the Father. Now personally, I have had encounters with Jesus, I believe mainly because I have sought Him and I have prayed Paul’s prayers after him. In wanting to know Jesus, I have met Him in worship, I have felt His presence during sermons, and I am often conscious of His presence when hiking in the mountains. I find myself drawn to prayer and worship while hiking. Yet I have also encountered Him in brokenness because He meets us where we are. I can remember a very discouraging time in my life over 30 years ago. I was home alone and knelt down to pray and pour out my heart. Then I briefly felt an arm around my shoulder as I knelt at the couch. His touch comforted and brought peace to my wounded heart.

Thus, I believe that both theology and experience validate, ‘Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.’ Yet I want you as well to know that Jesus cares. In light of that I encourage you to reflect back on the times you have seen His hand move in your life, the times you have been aware of His presence, and by extension His care and love for you. Knowing Jesus I am confident that you have these memories to draw upon to strengthen your walk with Him. Why not do that now?

What Happens Next?

Here is a question that was asked in a Christian and Atheist debate group that I am involved in administering, “If a rebellion took place in heaven, it means sin or bad things can happen in heaven. This is in contradiction to a God who is perfect and can only have good around him. Does this mean that sinners can go to heaven or that people can sin in heaven?”

In reflecting on this I think the scriptural answer is something important to all of us as believers and right after I decided to write on the matter it came up in an apologetics group that I participate in. There are important elements in the questions. A simple answer to one question is that no, sinners cannot go to heaven. The other part gets at whether sin and free will are compatible when we step from time into eternity. I have heard this part of the question asked a number of times.

We start by addressing sin, if we look at what Paul taught in Romans 6-8 we see the struggle of the believer with sin and we also see the solution, walking with and being led by the Spirit. Earlier in his ministry Paul put forth this same solution in his first letter, Galatians (see chapter 5). This is the case because even though we become a new creation at conversion, there is still a propensity toward sin in our physical bodies. Now to more detail.

We begin with what took place at conversion.

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

We received a new nature at conversion. Our spirit was reborn. Yet when we read Paul’s letters it is evident that believers still struggle with sin. Paul’s heart cry is found in Galatians.

¹⁹ My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, Galatians 4:19 (NKJV)

Paul wanted to see believers reflecting Jesus’ character, their new nature. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonian believers was that their spirit, soul and body would be preserved blameless at Jesus return.

To understand, when we dig a little deeper, we see the solution to our problem. At conversion we receive Jesus’ nature in our spirit. It is sanctified. As we continue in our walk our soul (mind, will and emotions), should progressively express Jesus’ nature, as Paul prayed in Galatians 4:19. I don’t think any of us will achieve perfection in this life, but we can increasingly look more and more like Jesus. Then finally at Jesus return we will be caught up into the air with Him in glorified new bodies, or be resurrected with glorious new bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17, 1 Corinthians 15:39-49). At our resurrection or translation, we receive a glorified incorruptible body. There will only be one thing missing, a propensity to sin!

¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Romans 7:19–20 (NKJV)

Now we can answer the questions, “Does this mean that sinners can go to heaven or that people can sin in heaven?” No, sinners cannot go, only saints, and while theoretically we could sin, with sin removed we will have no desire to do so!

Eyes to See

Let’s talk about and reflect on perspective in terms of what we see and how we see. Jesus exhorted us many times to see and hear. The choice to hear is consistent refrain in His messages to the seven churches in Revelation. One of the main passages is below and Jesus quotes Isaiah in His highlighting of the issue.

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴ And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; ¹⁵ For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ ¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. ¹⁸ “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: Matthew 13:10–18 (NKJV)

In this passage Jesus tells his disciples that they can see and hear and on a later occasion rebukes them for failing to do so.

¹⁸ Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? Mark 8:18 (NKJV)

This should provoke humility in us and a recognition that just because we can see it doesn’t mean we do see! However, it also means we have the capacity to see and can develop it and if we miss the mark recover it.

Given the impact our perceptions have on our faith, it seems important to ‘look’ at how we can make changes. Here are a couple of examples of the need to ‘see’ accurately, salvation and spiritual gifts. I am sure you have heard someone share the example of how unfair it is for a murder, rapist (fill in the blank) or some other person considered terrible, to be able to repent and embrace Jesus and get into heaven while a ‘good person’ they know or know of, misses heaven and encounters hell because they never embraced Jesus.

In looking at this an illustration that came to mind is the idea of an old door with the brass casing and a hole in the centre for the key. One could push the key against the door jamb, the top of the door, or the bottom of the door and the key would not work. You could also push against the metal plate just next to the keyhole and encounter the same outcome. You would only be able to open the door if you actually put the key in the lock and turned it. In the same manner salvation is through Jesus, you can try other methods but only Jesus unlocks and opens the door to salvation. Therefore, we need eyes to see the source of salvation.

Now we look at spiritual gifts. There are two basic camps, those who claim that spiritual gifts, as listed in 1 Corinthians 12 ceased when scripture was complete, or when the last of the twelve original apostles died or something similar. Then there are continuationists. Those who hold that these gifts are still in operation today. I am in the latter camp. I am aware that theological arguments can be made for either position, though frankly I think key points made in scripture need to be ignored and misrepresented to hold to a cessationist view. I am a continuationist for two primary reasons, well maybe three. Scripture exhorts us to seek these gifts, I have seen them in experience for decades in my life and the lives of others, and lastly, because I think we need them to accomplish what Jesus has called us to do. Given that millions of Christians around the world function in spiritual gifts I ask of cessationists what Jesus said in Mark 8:18, “Having eyes, do you not see?”

Now is there a point somewhere here? Yes, Jesus has given each of us eyes to see and I am confident that we all miss things. I know I have learned a great deal over time and adjusted my theology more than a few times. Which requires a willingness to look at things in a new way, to reconsider my position. Jesus always has more for us if we are willing to look and ask Him to open our eyes to see.