4. VEIL OF THE HEAVENS

 

  (Continuing from Lesson 3: Meaning of apocalypse, ‘through the veil’, or ‘to remove the veil’.)

 

IV. THE VEIL OF THE HEAVENS:

 

            A. Transcendent Reality, above Time and Space.

 

            God is more than just a personal Saviour and more even than merely a national Saviour.  He is a universal and eternal Saviour for all Mankind and in every Age.  This Transcendent Reality is expressed Biblically by reference to the visible, natural heavens, the sun, moon, stars, constellations and their movements. 

 

            The Book of Revelation is full of these celestial symbols, for example, “Christ holding the seven stars”, “a door opened in heaven”, “a woman clothed with the sun”.  They express the Transcendent God, His Transcendent Love, Power, Grace, Mercy, Truth, and, yes, even His Transcendent Wrath.

 

            (Read Song: THE LOVE OF GOD.)

 

                        1. How can we visualize this God?

 

                                    a. READ: Psalm 104:1-6: God’s garment is Light, and the visible heavens are a curtain.  The waters of the earth clothe the foundations of the earth.[1]

 

                                    b. READ: Isaiah 40:18, 21-22: The heavens are like a curtain and a tent.

 

                                    c. READ: Psalm 105:39: Shekinah glory was like a curtain, a veil.

 

 

                        2. Through the Veil:  Earthly things are mere copies of heavenly realities: God instructed Moses: Exodus 25:9, 40: “(9) According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” Verse 40: “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount.”

                        Quoted in Acts 7:44: “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion (pattern) that he had seen.”

                        READ: Hebrews 8:1-5 – the Pattern for all things was in the Heavens.

                        READ: Hebrews 9:18-24.  Based on Exodus 25:40 as quoted above.

 

C. The Transcendent God became Immanent in Christ, “Immanuel”. (‘Immanent’, to remain in or near.)

            Christ has passed through the veil of the heavens, therefore is REVEALED.  His Revelation has opened the heavens!

                        READ: Acts 1:9-11.

                        READ: John 14:18-23.

                        READ: Hebrews 7:25.

                        READ: Ephesians 4:8-13, To bring us into His image, (Pattern).

                        READ: Hebrews 4:14-16, To show us the heavenly Pattern for all things.

D. Experiences of Visions of God:

            The Heavens were opened to the prophets view:

                        Ezekiel 1:1: “… the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.”

                        John Baptist: Mark 1:10-11: “… he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him [Jesus]: (11) And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

                        Stephen: Acts 7:56: “… Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.”

                        Peter: Acts 10:11: “And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him….”

                        John the Revelator’s four visions: Revelation 1:10: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day…” 4:1: “After this I looked, and, behold a door was opened in heaven….” 17:3: “So he carried me away in the Spirit…” 19:11: “And I saw heaven opened…”

 

SONG: LORD I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH  (Name=Authority, Character, Identity.)

Lord, I lift your Name on high; Lord, I love to sing your praises.

I’m so glad you’re in my life; I’m so glad you came to save us!

You came from heaven to earth, to show the way,

From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay,

From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky.

Lord I lift your Name on high.

 

E. SO WHAT? WE CAN PARTICIPATE IN TRANSCENDANT REALITY:

            (The transcendent became immanent to show us how to transcend this world’s fictions, fantasy, and fickleness.  How to see beyond the temporary, temporal, circumstances to the eternal, spiritual realities, the real issues.)

 

                        1. Intercession: Example: Esther. Our job is to hear the voice of God’s Word, so we will know that the real enemy is the devil, not the people.  We then must go before the King of Kings to intercede against the evil, not against the person, party, or political power.

                        To see who the real enemy is, Esther needs a Mordecai.  Esther did not make the decree, change the decree, did not fight the war. Esther’s job was to be the connecting link between the evil and the King to bring it to justice.

                        2. Transcendent Love:

            Love that goes beyond self-indulgence, or our own team, family, nation, but encompasses the whole world, and the generations that are to come.

            (Not “What-About-Me, What-About-Me”.  Not the unholy trinity of Me, Myself, and I.  “Not sloppy-agape” and “greasy-grace”.)

            The Love Revolution:  The greatest power on earth for Good. 

           

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK: Continue to read in the Book of Revelation, also Matthew chapters 23 and 24, Daniel chapter 9.

 

THE LOVE OF GOD

By F. M. Lehman

 

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair, bowed down with care

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child, He reconciled

And pardoned from his sin.

 

Chorus:

O, love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forever more endure,

The saints and angels song.

 

When hoary time shall pass away,

And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;

When men who here refuse to pray,

On rocks and hill and mountain call;

God’s love so sure, shall still endure,

All measureless and strong:

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race…

The saints and angels song.

 

 

Could we with ink the ocean fill

And were the skies of parchment made;

Were every stalk on earth a quill

And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry

Nor could the scroll contain the whole

Though spread from sky to sky.