What does the New Testament reveal to us about the invisible sky?
The letter of Hebrews says that Jesus "passed through the heavens" (Heb. 4:14), that he was "exalted high above the heavens" (Heb. 7:26) and also that he "took his seat at the right hand side of the throne of God's majesty" (Heb. 8:1).
So a distinction is made between the heavens that the Lord Jesus passed through and the heavens where God dwells. So there is a difference in heaven between heaven and heaven.
This becomes completely clear in the letter to the Ephesians. Here we read several times about multiple heavens. For example, in Ephesians 4:10, where it is said of Jesus Christ, "He who descended, it is He also who ascended, far above all the heavens...
At the same time, we read in Ephesians 1:20 that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead and set Him at His right hand in the heavens.
But even more becomes clear here, namely that the invisible heavens extend to the earth. We see this by two things. First, we read that in the heavens there are also evil powers called "world rulers of this darkness" (Eph. 6:12). Ephesians 2:2 locates these evil powers in the air. Indeed, we read there of "the ruler of the power of the air, ... the spirit which is at present at work in the children of disobedience. So these evil spirits are in the air, in the heavens that directly touch the earth.
Second, we read that the Church on earth is also "in the heavens" at the same time. For Ephesians 2:5-6 says that God has "made us alive with Christ," that He has raised us with Him, and that He has "given us also a place in the heavens.
In summary, the concept of heavens in the letter to the Ephesians speaks of the spiritual world, which is invisible to our natural senses (cf. 2 Cor. 4:18), yet is thought of locally. It extends from the earth to the throne of God.
Author: Gijs van den Brink
From: Study Bible Magazine
This is a condensed version of an article from Study Bible Magazine, which we will be posting a portion of online weekly in the near future. We hope you will experience more depth in the Bible as a result!
