One of the most common prayers prayed on the microphone in
our house of prayer is from Isaiah 64, "Oh, that You would rend the heavens.....
come down!" In other words, "Lord, open heaven!" Jesus tells Nathaniel in John 1
that "You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the Son of Man." We know that Jesus is referring back to Genesis 28:10-17
where Jacob sees the 'gate of heaven' where the divine activity of heaven is
connected with the governing of the earth. Jacob is gazing upon the very throne
of God and this 'gate' or 'ladder' connects this throne to earth. Jesus is
saying a ladder will be set up from earth to heaven, a divine connection will
ensure the government of God. In a moment, you'll see Jesus is the ladder.
Jesus is describing the centerpiece of God's redemptive
purposes: the bringing together of heaven and earth. The apex of redemptive
history when in the God-Man all things in heaven and earth are brought together,
the full resource of heaven is at the disposal of the King of Kings to bring an
unprecedented hour of the reign of God in every sphere of life, among all the
nations. Even before this reality is manifest with the first descent of the New
Jerusalem, it is a partial but very real event that manifests in the natural as
a testimony to the coming substantial rule of Jesus from Jerusalem. It is the
manifestation of the Kingdom of God's power, rendering opposition useless,
powerless.
Though the whole world presently lies under the sway of the
evil one, the promised kingdom of God in His son will come. In the person of
Jesus the Kingdom is established and will be fully realized. That is why Jesus
depicts Himself as the ladder in John 1:51. Jesus is the mediator of the
Kingdom. He is the one who is inaugurating an age of the in-breaking of the
Kingdom. The Kingdom has come in the flesh. The divine Son of Man is
inaugurating the beginning of a glorious day that is the first-fruits of a
fuller reign to come in the millennium. Jesus in the ladder. He is the one
bringing the divine activity of God to overthrow the kingdom of darkness with
the very finger of God.
Jesus will progressively bring to pass partial, substantial,
and the ultimate rule of God. We can think of it this way:
Stage
1: Partial (good). His rule is mostly now in the hearts of His people .
Jesus is ruler over the kings of the earth now, but does not manifest His
leadership openly except on rare occasions.
Stage 2: Substantial (better). His
political rule of the nations (millennial kingdom).
Stage 3: Ultimate (best). His rule over the
New Earth (after the millennium).
This vision of 'open heaven' will do several things for us.
Number one, it fuels our intercession. Why? Because in our
cry for revival we are asking for the divine season of an open heaven where the
Kingdom of God breaks in with power leading to healing, deliverance, and
salvation to the multitudes. It is the hour when the testimony of the Spirit
brings glory to the Father by exalting the testimony of the Sons rule and reign.
Revival is a glimpse of a glorious day to come when God will be all in
all.
This is what we are praying for in our city. We are asking
for a season of trampling on scorpions and serpents where the power of God
breaks the power of darkness (Luke 10:17-20). We are interceding for the hour of
light where God's revelation goes forth with clarity and power. We are not
simply praying for persons to receive forgiveness. We take our stand to call for
the full release of God's redemptive plan to be played out in our day. We ask
God to release the witness of the coming King of Glory and the removal of Satan
out of the affairs of humanity.
Number two, it corrects our limited preaching of the
Gospel. Often the goal of revival preaching is conversion. However, the Gospel
of the Kingdom, although including forgiveness of sins, contains the expansion
of God's rule in every sphere of life, knowing that our right and just actions
will carry over into the next age.
Number three, it emboldens our courage to fight the good
fight against all forms of darkness. We can see ourselves as part of the
courageous remnant who cooperates with God for the reclaiming of God's rule in
every area of life.
Beloved, as the Bride of Christ, we are the connecting point
between heaven and earth. The point that God chose for heaven and earth to come
together is humanity, in His image and filled with His Spirit. As the eternal
partner of Jesus, standing in the place of intercession, we can enter into the
privilege of being involved in seeing His glorious plan of redemption
unfold. Let’s do it.
Father of Glory, thank you for the promise of eternal
redemption. Let the hope of the coming King and His Kingdom sustain our hearts
in love as we cry out for revival in our city and in the nations. Father, teach
us to pray. Amen.
