THE OPEN HEAVENS
THE tanned, muscular young prophet immediately sensed the greatness of this moment. He stood knee deep in the swirling waters at the edge of the River Jordan, feet spread apart, hands on his hips, clothed in a garment of rough camel's hair, and watched the slender young man make his way through the crowd toward him. He recognized this Nazarene, radiant now and glowing with the very presence of God. All his life he had known Jesus, son of Mary. But now he was seeing for the first time Jesus, the Son of God. He was amazed at this revelation . . how could this be? Why had he not seen it before? But he knew it was so. The Holy Ghost was upon him, and he was more sure that this young man, his cousin in the flesh, was the Son of God, the long awaited Messiah, than he was that his own name was John, son of Zacharias, the priest. The hour had come at last. John the Baptist and Jesus were meeting at the River Jordan. Prophecy was being fulfilled, history was being made, and a pattern was being formed. Watch very carefully what was happening at this momentous occasion.
Friends, before you go any further in this message, please read the accounts in the four Gospels concerning the baptism of Jesus. Read carefully the following scriptures: Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22 and John 1:29-34.
Now the previous two messages on this subject of Jesus as the Sign or Pattern, "GOD'S GREATEST SIGN" and "THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS", brings out the truth of how Jesus is the Pattern for the Body of Christ, that great company of people, God's Army that He is raising up in these last days to crush all the kingdoms of this world, and to put down Satanic rule and dominion. If you have not read these other two chapters, read them immediately. They are very important, and this message today is a continuation on theme. Jesus as the Pattern.
The one thing we are concerned with today in this message is how the heavens were opened unto Jesus, and what this means to us, let's find out what it meant to Jesus. Up to this time, Jesus had never entered into actual combat with Satanic forces. True, the devil, working through the political and religious system of that day, had tried his best to kill the baby Jesus soon after his birth. True, the angel of the Lord had protected him in his early years, leading him first to Egypt, and then to the hill of Galilee. But Jesus himself had never risen up to battle the forces of evil. Up to this time there is no record of Him ever performing a miracle, healing the sick, or casting out demons. Except, of course, in the false records of the so-called "Lost books of the Bible". These books which tell of Jesus performing silly little miracles (making real birds out of mud, stretching a wooden throne to the proper size, etc. ) are ridiculous, their origin is false, and their message is a lie. It was here at the River Jordan at the age of 30 that Jesus received the power to cast down satanic strongholds and heal the sick and raise the dead. This is the same power He has for us, and we have already received the "earnest", or the foretaste of this glorious inheritance. More of this in another message. Let's look today at THE OPEN HEAVENS.
Matt. 3:16: "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him. . " Mark 1:10: "And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened.. " Glory to God! Something happened here that began the fulfillment of Jacob's dream of the Ladder. You remember that Jacob dreamed as he lay there at Bethel with his head on a stone for a pillow and saw in his dream the heavens opened, and a ladder set up on the earth, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder. Jacob awoke out of his sleep in fear and dread and cried: "How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gets of heaven" (Genesis 28:17). So he changed the name of that place from Luz to Bethel because Bethel signified "HOUSE OF GOD". He had actually seen, in a type, the true house of God, the fulness of the Son of Man in Christ and His people.
In I Chronicles 17:12 God is telling David that He does not want David to build Him a house. . and he tells David of the coming of Christ, and how that Christ shall build God's house. .. "He shall build me an house, and I will establish his throne for ever. " Acts 2:30 verifies to us that He was speaking of Christ. In Acts 7:49 God spoke through Stephen to the Jews and said: "Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool; what house will ye build me ?" They could not build His house, for they had already rejected the head of the Chief Cornerstone. Jesus was building God's house, and he said in John 14 2, "In my Father's house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you . . that where I am, there ye may be also. " You know, of course, what and who the house of God is. You born again, spirit filled, God-called believers who are pressing into the High Calling of God, you are the household of God. What did Jesus mean, "Where I am, there ye may be also?" Just where was He when He said this? Yes, His body was upon the earth, but more than this, He was walking in heavenly places, for unto Him THE HEAVENS WERE OPEN. He had entered into this place at the River Jordan, and shortly after had met Satan face to face and defeated him with the Word of God. AND FROM THAT DAY ON .. there was never a time when a demon spirit could hide from Him, for that which is invisible to us was visible to Him, for the heavens were open to Him. We see only that which is earthly, physical. But he saw that which cannot be seen by the natural eye.... principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, wicked spirits in the heavenlies. In Mark, chapter one, He came to Capernaum and went into the synagogue to teach. A man there cried out against him, but He did not recognize the opposition as coming from flesh, but He saw what the church people and their leaders had never seen, that this man in their midst had a devil, an unclean spirit. He cast out the spirit and delivered the man. They were astonished at Him.
In Mark, chapter five, we find Jesus coming to Gadara. As he gets out of the boat, a man ran to him and worshipped him. Many of us would be fooled by the religious attitude of this man, but not Jesus. He could see right into the heavenlies, and could see that this man was full of demons. He cast them out. John 2:25 says: "and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. " They could not even hide their thoughts from Him. In Luke, chapter seven, we find Jesus discerning the unclean condemning spirit in Simon. In Mark, chapter two, we see four men taking their sick friend to Jesus by going through the roof of the house. When Jesus said, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee", the scribes began reasoning in their hearts that He was blaspheming. But immediately Jesus perceived this, and rebuked them. Nothing was hid from Him. The heavens were open.
Not only did He see these things, but seeing them He had victory over them. Never once did He lose a battle to Satan. Never once was anyone turned away that came to him. There was no disease too strong or too far gone, there was no limb too crooked, there was no eye too blind, there was no sinner too wicked. He was victorious over every devil, over every evil force. He had entered into that realm which Satan had usurped and stolen from Adam, and had won it back. Oh, Hallelujah! Glory to God! What a wonderful Savior!
As far as Jesus was concerned, Satan had lost his power and had been cast out of the heavens. Satan could not even touch the physical body of Jesus, for it was part of the Man who now walked lathe heavens, who had overcome Satan and was truly victorious over every evil force. Death could not lay hold upon Him. His life was not taken from Him. In order to die for us He had to voluntarily lay down His life. This was the heavenly path He trod. And this is the One who said to us: "Where I am, there ye may be also. "
What does this mean to us, His Body? We don't yet see all things under the feet of the son of man (Heb. 2:8), but(verse 9), "we see Jesus, crowned with glory and honor. " We see the Head of this Body supremely victorious, waiting until the Body comes to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, s o that his enemies become his footstool. The Head is victorious, and crowned. But this glorious work He began will continue until His whole Body, even the feet, shall rise to the place of authority and power that He has. The smallest and weakest member of the Body, the least in the Kingdom, shall have dominion over every Satanic force, over the work of creation, even over their own spirits. "Where I-am, there ye may be ... "
See how Jesus had authority over the elements of nature. See the winds and waves obey Him as He speaks. See how the fish brings the tax money to Peter at the Word of Jesus. See how the fig tree withers at His command. This is the place God ordained for man (Psa. 8), but man lost his inheritance through sin. Jesus has won it back for us and He is now building a house, creating a body of people, bringing forth a Son in His own likeness, and in His image. (Romans 8:29) (John 1:12-13). For centuries men have been more or less content to let the devil have this earth, if only they can have heaven after they die. And, thank God, He has provided salvation for lost man, and the work of the Church has been to get this message out to those who are dying in sin. But now in these last days there is coming forth a body of people, raised up by the Holy Ghost in Revival power, who are not content to let Satan rule here on this earth. They are crying out for deliverance and interceding for the Kingdom of God on earth. They don't know how this can be done, for it truly looks impossible, but because the Word of God says it is so, they believe it. The Holy Ghost is now revealing truths that have been hidden since the days of the apostles. Hope is once again springing up in the hearts of the saints, God's "called out ones", and they are beginning to see that we can follow Jesus into that which is beyond the veil, and that the heavens will be open to us, too. These are looking not to die, but to live; not for eventual victory in Heaven, but for victory on this earth. They are contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. What a glorious destiny for the House of God, the Ladder Jacob saw in his dream.
See how this ladder vision is brought out in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. You will recall how amazed Nathanael was when the Lord remarked how He had seen him under the fig tree. Actually the Lord may have been miles away at the time, and Nathanael knew that. How could this be? But Jesus said: "thou shalt see greater things than these. Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. " (John 1:50-51). In other words, Jesus was saying, "Nathanael, this miracle you have seen is nothing. You haven't seen anything yet. The time is at hand when the Son of Man shall fulfill the type of Jacob's ladder. His feet shall stand on earth, and His Head shall reach even unto Heaven; and the angels of God shall ascend and descend upon Him. " Now there is only one way by which the angels of God could ascend and descend upon the Son of Man; and that is, if the Son inhabits Heaven and earth at the same time. And such is the case. The Son of Man is the glorious and wonderful fulfillment of Jacob's ladder; and no wonder Jacob called the place "Bethel", for this is the House of God of which we speak, even the Body of Christ. The Head is in Heaven but the Body is upon earth: and according to the Scriptures the Head hath sent forth the celestial hosts as ministering spirits. ministering to such as shall be heirs of salvation, ascending and descending upon the Son of Man, this "new Man" that Paul speaks about, 'created in Himself of twain. " It is Christ in the fulness of His people. The heavens are now open to His people, the Body, even as it was to Him the Head, there at the River Jordan that eventful day.
The question arises: When and how do we come into this glorious place? By faith we have it now. We claim it in His Name! But in actual experience any honest hearted child of God will admit that the heavens have not yet been open to him, and that he does not yet dwell in that place beyond the veil where Jesus, our fore-runner, "is for us entered. " (Heb. 6 :20). Some may argue that Jesus did not receive his Melchisedec priesthood until after he was resurrected and ascended into heaven. But I declare that he had a priestly ministry even during his earthly life. And we too have a priesthood ministry on this earth. Rev. 1:5-6 says: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. " Also the Lamb "hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth. " (Rev. 5:10). Now we honestly admit that we are not yet beyond the veil, in the heavenlies. We have not yet entered into our priestly ministry in full, nor do we reign as Kings, but just as surely as Jesus came to the River Jordan and set the Pattern, just as surely shall the true Body of Christ follow that Pattern. Hebrews 6:20 says that He is our forerunner, indicating that we are to follow Him into the Holiest. By faith we enter into that place now, but in actual experienced his is still ahead of us. How far ahead I cannot say, but I feel that it is very near. For already the Body of Christ is nearing maturity, dispensationally the time is at hand. "For even now, saith God, the Son is approaching the waters of Jordan, the figurative waters of death. For there must be a dying out, a complete death to self and the old ways, that I might bring thee into thy heavenly inheritance. For my prophet, my anointed ministry for this hour is already sounding forth the trumpet call for my people to repent of their religious hypocrisy and forsake that which is dead and turn thou unto Life, to the way of the Living God. Submit thou to my Word, and to my ministry in the earth, that 1 might bring thee up out of the waters of Jordan unto a glorious freedom and victory that thou hast never known. " Glory to Jesus!
How do we come into this experience? Friends, this must come by an act of the-Grace of God. You cannot think, believe, work, or even pray your way in. But you can pray, believe and be ready for Him when He comes to His people. For this day shall come suddenly, and if you are still hanging around the synagogues of Jerusalem, you will miss what is happening at Jordan. Come out into the wilderness, my people, into the glorious wilderness where you can learn to die out to self. Where He can prune your branch and bring forth Fruit in your life. For it is the fruit bearers who shall come into this glorious place in God.
Can your mind comprehend even in a measure what this shall be like, to be in the place Jesus was in? To have dominion over the elements, the beasts, the birds, even over the strongest of devils and the worst of diseases. Yes, even victory over death itself, the last enemy to be conquered. Some claim now to have already conquered death, when they are still afraid of a bad dog, or an attack of the flu. My friends, death is the last enemy to be conquered. But fall it must, before the mighty power of God working through His Church, Isis body. And Jesus said that the works that He did, we would do also (John 14:12). This power is not given for us to feed ourselves with bread from the stones, or for sensationalism to make people notice us, or to get a kingdom for ourselves. Jesus was tempted with these things, and He overcame them. And so will those who follow His pattern. Glory to God! What a destiny! How marvelous the plan of God! How glorious the path of those who walk with God! These things are being shown to us so that we will be willing to follow Him in His wilderness journey to Jordan. Willing to die with Him in the chilly waters. That we might come up from this death into a glorious ministry of Life and Power and authority such as the world has never seen since Jesus made the Pattern.