The Heavens Opened
Introduction
A. Matthew 3:16 When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened
1. If indeed the universe is created by God, it is no surprise that He should intervene in the affairs of men in supernatural ways.
2. In fact, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, John 3:16.
a. Heaven opened and He sent His Son
b. Heaven had received the chariots of fire that carried Elijah away from Elisha.
c. Jacob had seen heaven opened in his dream of a ladder into heaven and angels ascending and descending on it.
d. Isaiah and Ezekiel had seen visions of God on His throne in symbolic terms.
e. Moses in some sense had seen the glory of God in the mountains of Horeb.
B. The heavens opened on numerous occasions after Jesus was born.
1. Historically, literally, the heavens opened!
2. When Jesus was baptized.
3. When Jesus ascended in the clouds, with the angels.
4. When Stephen was stoned..
5. Paul saw a light from heaven, saw and spoke with Jesus in heaven, then later was caught up into the third heaven hearing words that it is not lawful to repeat.
6. Peter saw in a vision, heaven opened and a linen sheet descend with unclean animals which he was commanded to kill eat.
7. The angels promised that Jesus would return again from heaven to gather his people to himself
C. The book of Revelation shows us a series of visions in which the door was opened into heaven.
1. God wants us to look! to think and imagine!
2. He chose very special moments to open up heaven to men.
3. Let's think about what that might mean.
I. Baptism of Jesus
A. After the baptism, as they were praying (Luke 3:21),
1. heavens were opened, -- realm of God beyond the universe of creation: opened so that man could see and know
2. Holy Spirit descended in bodily form or appearance as a dove, -- dove had become a symbol of peace since the days of Noah, also the sacrificial animal of the poor (as at Jesus' dedication and Mary's purification.)
3. then the voice announced, "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." -- The voice of God, the Father declaring and acknowledging publicly the deity of Jesus, and the divine approval of what Jesus was doing.
4. That same declaration was still remembered in 2 Peter 1:18 as the apostle declared they were eyewitnesses of His majesty making known the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He called it a voice that came from the excellent glory...
B. Jesus looked up to heaven often in His prayers
1. Matthew 14:19 giving thanks for the food He was feeding over 5,000 men -- only God can feed and sustain
-- as God gave Israel the manna in the desert for 40 years.
-- but man does not live by bread alone, Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:1-4
-- as Jesus teaches us to seek the kingdom first and all these things will be added, Matthew 6:19-33
2. Mark 7:34 looking up the heaven He sighed, then opened the ears of the deaf and healed his speech -- Jesus is so burdened by men who turn a deaf ear to His precious words
3. John 17:1 Jesus lifted His eyes up to heaven when He prayed the prayer for unity between Himself and the Father and also between them and His disciples.
C. John 12:28 A voice came once again when Jesus struggled over His task and the hopes of opening the door to the gentiles. Jesus said, Father, glorify Thy Name.
-- The Father thundered, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."
-- v. 23-36
D. Heavens opened once more to receive the risen Jesus.
1. Matthew 28:2 The angel of the Lord descended from heaven and cme and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
2. Mark 16:19 Jesus was received up into heaven;
3. Luke 24:51 says He was carried up into heaven.
4. Acts 1:9 -- He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
-- v. 10-11, two men dressed in white promised that He would return in the same manner.
5. Hebrews 4:14-16 " Seeing then that we have a geat high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,... Let us draw near to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
-- Hebrews 9:24 entered into heaven itself
II. Acts 2:1-2 On Pentecost, there came a sound as of a rushing, mighty wind, and tongues of fire.
A. Significance:
1. the fulfillment of Jesus' promises to the disciples that He would baptism them with the Holy Spirit, and that they would be filled with power, Acts 1:9
2. the establishment of the church of Christ, Acts 2:47
3. the beginning of he proclamation of the Gospel of the Risen Lord and the salvation in His blood, Acts 2:36-41.
4. the beginning of evangelism to the whole world, Acts 1:9
B. The Holy Spirit began to fulfill the prophecies of Joel 2 28-32, long awaited
-- Peter explains in 1 Peter 1:12 that the prophets searched diligently their own writings, v.10 trying to understand God's plans which were fulfilled when the Gospel was preached with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.
C. The prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24:14-15 began to be fulfilled of the destruction of Jerusalem
III. Acts 7:55 Stephen is stoned
A. The first Christian to die just for telling the truth that brings salvation to the Jews (and the rest of the world)
B. Stephen saw into heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father on His throne
C. 1 Peter 4:12-19 glorify God in the name of Jesus
IV. Acts 9:3 Paul saw a light shine from heaven and spoke to the risen Jesus
A. Retells the story in Acts 22:6 Paul adds that it was about noon and calls it "a great light round about me" and 26:13 he says, "At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me."
B. God opened the door to heaven, to show the future apostle to the Gentiles, the glory of Jesus. He had mercy on him because he was persecuting the church ignorantly and in unbelief. 1 Timothy 1:13
-- surely enough, Paul became a very dedicated evangelist and devoted care-giver for the churched that he established with the preaching of the Gospel all over Europe and Asia.
V. Acts 10:11, 16 Peter saw heaven opened and a sheet full of unclean animals descend.
A. In this vision, God showed Peter that he was to preach the Gospel to and baptize Cornelius, the first Gentile Christian.
B. Again in Acts 11:5, 9 Peter emphasizes to the church in Jerusalem that the sheet that God showed him descended from heaven and ascended to heaven.
VI. Heavens will open again and Jesus will descend.
A. Acts 1:9-11 return in like manner
B. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 shall descend with a shout
C. 2 Thessalonians 1:7 Jesus will be revealed from heaven.
D. Hebrews 9:27-28 will appear a second time without sin unto salvation
E. 2 Peter 3:10-14 the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night
F. 1 John 3:1-3 we shall see Him as He is
VII. Closing remarks
A. Heaven has opened a door that we might see the glory of God and desire Him and worship Him.
B. It is a door of salvation for the whole world.
C. There will always be a war with the earthly or worldly who chose not honor their Creator.
-- the book of Revelation presents a series of visions of God on His Throne and all the voices that come from that realm to strengthen us in our struggle on this earth.
-- Revelation 4:1 a door was opened into heaven.
-- Twelve times afterward we hear voices that explain what God sees that men don't
D. Remember Elisha's words to the Lord to open the eyes of his servant. 2 Kings 6:16-17
-- Oh that we could see by faith into the invisible realms of heaven!