CHRIST S ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN

Transcription

1 CHRIST S ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN August 2015 Rian Cilliers

2 CHRIST S ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN CONTENT Page no PREFACE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1. Christ s surroundings are resurrected 2 2. Heaven and earth becoming one in Christ 6 3. An upwards movement into heaven Movement at an angle upwards into heaven Christ being caught up The cloud of witnesses receives Christ Christ and the cloud moving away Going into heaven occurs over a short distance It all happens quickly Christ disappears as He appears 45 50

3 CHRIST S ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The activities which took place during Christ s ascension into heaven have been split into two parts. The first part deals with activities up to the point when heaven and earth became one and the spiritual cloud of witnesses became visible in the spiritual eyes of Christ s disciples. The second part deals with activities within the spirit realm which occurred after the disciples were able to see through their spiritual eyes into the spirit realm, the realm into which Christ eventually vanished. This Volume deals with the second part. The activities in the spirit realm that are included in the second part involve Christ undergoing an upward movement into heaven, i.e. Christ being caught up into spiritual heaven, after which a cloud of witnesses receive Christ in their midst. They move at a slight angle into the air, into the spiritual kingdom of heaven. Christ and the cloud of witnesses move away, deeper into the spirit realm, until they vanish. All of this occurs quickly and within an extremely short distance, as though it happens right there in front of the disciples of Christ. Christ, who is now in God s spiritual kingdom of heaven, is no longer restricted to time, space, gravity, directions and mass. Christ has been transformed into what Christ was before the world began, namely the Word of God. This was Christ s prayer to the Father before He went to the cross: "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was (John 17:5). Christ still remains here on earth, because Christ established God s spiritual kingdom of heaven here on earth. Christ s kingdom, the kingdom of God is here on earth. Christ declared to His disciples: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the world (Matt 28:20) and "where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt 18:20) and "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (John 14:20).

4 2 1. CHRIST S SURROUNDINGS ARE RESURRECTED This chapter briefly focuses on Christ s surroundings being resurrected to a higher level of glory at the time of the ascension. BACKGROUND This volume is the second volume of a series of two volumes about Christ ascension into heaven. The first volume focused on Christ and His disciples moving up a mountain, after which God Himself descends, blowing a spiritual trumpet, which is God s voice, and which is only audible to man s spiritual ears, while the cloud of witnesses in the spiritual realm, in the heaven city, the New Jerusalem, also descends down and become visible to Christ s disciples still operating in physical bodies. This cloud of witnesses is all around and among Christ s disciples and among Christ. Then, while Christ is still standing among His disciples, Christ s body is transformed from consisting of particles of dust to a spiritual body consisting of God s truth, only visible through the spiritual eyes of Christ s disciples. The only thing which changed in Christ s disciples was that their sight changed from mainly their physical eyes to their spiritual eyes. And this was possible because at that moment, heaven and earth, or the spiritual and physical realms, have become one in Christ and in Christ s surroundings, which includes Christ s disciples in Christ s surroundings. Christ had up to this point, the end of the first Volume, not yet started to ascend into spiritual heaven. Christ was still standing among His disciples on earth. CHRIST S SPIRIT RESURRECTED When Christ died on the cross on the first day of counting, the first day of Passover feast, Christ s spirit was raised to a higher level of glory. Christ gave His spirit to His Father in heaven: So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit (John 19:30). Christ also said: "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' "Having said this, He breathed His last (Luk 23:46). It was on that same day, the first day of Passover feast, when Christ died on the cross, that Christ was in Paradise, for Christ declared to the one crucified with Him on the cross: "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Luk 23:43). Christ s spirit was in Paradise where God is, and that spirit of Christ, Christ called Me. That was the first part of Christ s being that was resurrected Christ s spirit. CHRIST S BODY RESURRECTED When Christ was resurrected from the grave, 3,5 days later after Christ s spirit was raised to God, Christ s body was resurrected out of the death into a higher level of glory which Christ never had before. Numerous Scriptures refer to Christ having been raised from the grave and the disciples of Christ going to His physical tomb and seeing that He was no longer there. That was the second part of Christ s being that was resurrected Christ s body.

5 3 Since Christ died fully of His flesh on the cross, Christ s new body did not had anything of the physical body restricting Him Christ s new body was a 100% spiritual body, overruling any of Christ s desires to move back to the lower glory level of a physical body, but having the option of going back to that lower level as well. CHRIST S SURROUNDINGS RESURRECTED However, when Christ was lifted up and ascended into heaven on the Mountain in Galilee, on the 8 th day after being resurrected from the grave, or 10,5 days after Christ died on the cross, Christ s surroundings was now resurrected, aligning Christ s surroundings with Christ s being. On that day, the cloud of witnesses was raised up, or caught up, receiving spiritual bodies, being able to be seen by those who have good eye-sight through their spiritual eyes. It is stated that the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thess 4:16) and then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess 4:17). The caught up with them in the clouds (1 Thess 4:17) confirms the raising of those in the cloud of witnesses to a higher level of glory, of receiving spiritual bodies. Those in the cloud of witnesses are in Christ s surroundings. It is a higher level of glory for those in heaven, because those in the physical realm is then able to perceive them through their spiritual eyes if they have good eye-sight through their spiritual eyes, that is, if their spirits rule sufficiently enough. They are also ready to go where-ever Christ goes. Christ s own disciples in Christ s surroundings are also lifted up, raised to a higher level of glory, being able to see better into the spiritual realm as well on that day when Christ ascended to His Father on the mountain in Galilee. It is stated: then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess 4:17). And since the caught up of Christ s disciples in Christ s surroundings occurs instantaneously after those in heaven are caught up to form the cloud of witnesses, the word together (1 Thess 4:17) is used for the caught up (1 Thess 4:17) activities that goes on in Christ s surroundings in the physical realm and in the spiritual realm. Since the Holy Spirit was not yet poured out, the spiritual perceptions of the disciples of Christ in the spirit realm was still very immature, yet enough for them to perceive what needs to be perceived in the spirit realm. The baptism of the Holy Spirit would merely intensity what they were able to see on the 8 th day and 40 days after Christ was raised from the grave, and also to empower them, as Christ has declared that the disciples with receive power from on high. The only thing that allowed the disciples to see in the spirit realm is that Christ has already, before His ascension into heaven, breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Spirit: And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). This happened on the first day after Christ was raised from the grave. This breathing on them, and them receiving the Holy Spirit, allowed the disciples of Christ to sense into the spiritual realm with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, how Christ ascended into heaven. On that day, Christ also received power and authority which Christ would need to rule His surroundings. On the Mountain in Galilee, when Christ ascended to His Father, Christ declared: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18). Then was fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel: "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed (Dan 7:13, 14).

6 4 At the time of Christ s ascension, Christ s body is transformed from consisting of particles of dust to a spiritual body consisting of God s truth, only visible through the spiritual eyes of Christ s disciples. This happened while Christ is still standing among His disciples. This is not something new. Christ s spiritual body, which matured in full at the time of Christ resurrected from the grave, now merely manifested fully in that direction, allowing Christ only to be seen through man s spiritual eyes, instead of through the eyes of the physical bodies of Christ s disciples. Christ already went in and out of God s spiritual kingdom of heaven a few times before this particular ascension into heaven, of which the 2 Emmaus travellers and Christ suddenly becoming visible to Mary at the grave, and Christ suddenly standing in the midst of His disciples among 10 of His disciples (excluding Thomas) in a house whose doors and windows were closed on the day Christ was resurrected from the grave. The same raising of Christ s surroundings occurred when Christ ascended permanently into heaven from the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem, 40 days after Christ s resurrection from the grave. CONTINUOUS ACTIVITIES IN CHRIST S MINISTRY The above processes of Christ first dying of His flesh, then Christ being raised up personally, and then Christ s surroundings being raised up, already started at the time when Christ was baptised in water and the Holy Spirit, i.e. when Christ s ministry started. It ended after 40 days when the angels, who is a separate cloud of witnesses, served Christ in the wilderness after Christ was tested by Satan. Only the intensity of each of the actions was much lower. The intensity grew during Christ s ministry until the climax at the time of the cross, when every part of the process became quite clear and visible. THOSE IN THE FLESH NOT RESURRECTED Those operating in the flesh in Christ s surroundings, who do not receive Christ, are not resurrected as part of Christ s surroundings. This implies that they cannot see through their spiritual eyes. Their spirits remain suppressed, and they do not receive the spirit of Christ, becoming born again, which would allow them to see into the spiritual realm. Christ confirmed this: Then Jesus said to them (the Jews), "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come. Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? (John 7:33-35). Christ also confirmed that the world will no longer see Him, once He entered into heaven, because He will only be seen through man s spiritual eyes, and for that you must be born of the Spirit of Christ, receiving a new spirit in order to see in the spirit realm. "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also (John 14:19). Those who operate in the flesh will not see Christ. This alignment involves two aspects. The first is to be separated all the more from those who dragged Christ down, who makes it impossible to operate at a particular new level of glory in which Christ had to operate. When Christ went into the spirit realm, Christ was all the more separated from fleshly people in His surroundings. This aspect also deals with operating in holiness before God, or in separateness before God. Christ distanced Himself from the world, dying of the world.

7 5 A good example is Christ s first 40 days in the wilderness without food when Christ started His ministry on earth. Christ fasted, allowing His spirit to rule all the more. The second is that, even though Christ was distanced from those other more fleshly people, Christ knew more about them through the Holy Spirit s revelation words. When Christ went into heaven, Christ was still here on the earth, but completely separated from the world, the earthly realm, from fleshly people. When Christ entered spiritual heaven, Christ could operate as the angels operate invisible to the eyes of man s body. Christ could see them, but because the fleshly people operated with the eyes of their body, they could not see Christ in the spirit realm. MAN S INHERITANCE IN CHRIST All of what has been said in this chapter is the inheritance of a follower of Christ as well. At the end of a spiritual season in the life of a follower of Christ, a follower also dies of His flesh, but is being raised up from that death experience, so that he is raised to a higher level of glory, thinking differently. His surrounding is also raised up a higher level of glory, while he and his surroundings move further away from those who operate in the flesh, walking in death.

8 6 2. HEAVEN AND EARTH BECOMING ONE IN CHRIST This chapter briefly focuses on heaven and earth becoming one in Christ in a more intense way when Christ ascended into heaven. CHRIST S EARTHLY SURROUNDINGS BECOME ONE WITH HEAVEN During the Mount of Transfiguration, Christ revealed that it is no longer only His own person, His spirit, soul and body, which is resurrected to a higher level of glory, but Christ s surroundings are also transformed. For example, His disciples, who were in Christ s earthly surroundings, also experienced and saw God s spiritual kingdom of heaven, as Christ has prophesied just a few days ago: "But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God." (Luk 9:27). Christ s disciples also saw Christ s being been transformed, shining as bright as the sun. Christ s disciples also saw the cloud of witnesses becoming visible around them. Christ s disciples also saw Christ speaking to Moses and Elijah. Christ s disciples also heard the voice of God the Father, from within the midst of the cloud of witnesses, informing them to listen to Christ. Christ s earthly environment been touched so that it became aligned with heaven, according to Christ s simple prayer: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). Each time man s soul is resurrected to a higher level of glory, during which man s soul operates closer to God in the spirit realm, Christ s simple prayer becomes all the more a reality, not only for man, but also for man s surroundings. During the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, Christ passed over in an even greater extent, and in an even greater intensity, than a year earlier when Christ walked on water. A year earlier, Christ s earthly surroundings were not touched so much that His disciples could see God s spiritual kingdom of heaven. His disciples could only see Christ walking on the physical water. Christ was also able to say to Peter to walk on water. Peter was also able to walk on water. Christ was also able to take Peter s hand when Peter started to sink into the water. Thus, a year earlier, His disciples merely saw a miracle of Christ walking on earthly water, without seeing with their spiritual eyes God s spiritual kingdom of heaven. Yet, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Christ s 3 disciples were able to see into the spiritual realm, into God s spiritual kingdom of heaven. Thus, concerning Christ s earthly surroundings, His disciples could not yet see God s spiritual kingdom of heaven really becoming one with the earthly environment when Christ walked on the earthly water. However, a year later, Christ s disciples in Christ s surroundings, perceived a lot of God s spiritual kingdom becoming one with the earthly environment around Christ. During the Mount of Transfiguration, alignment between the spiritual realm and the physical realm was clearly evident. Christ spoke to Moses and Elijah, who were spirit beings in the spiritual realm. The cloud of witnesses, consisting of the spirits of saints who already died and have lost their physical bodies, became clearly visible for those disciples who were still operating in physical bodies. The disciples did not perceived the cloud of witnesses with the eyes of their bodies, but with the eyes of their spirits.

9 7 CHRIST ENTRUSTING IT ONLY TO THOSE WHO CAN SEE SPIRITUALLY Only Christ s 3 closest disciples were taken with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, that is, those whom Christ believed had their spirits rule their being more than the other disciples. They were Peter, John and James. Thus, these 3 disciples were able to see the vision in the spirit realm with their spiritual eyes much clearer than what the other disciples would have been able to perceive. That is why, even a year later, when Christ was indeed transfigured and had already entered the spiritual realm, going in and out of the spiritual realm, some disciples did not believe it was Christ whom they were looking at when Christ appeared in front of them on the same Mount of Transfiguration. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted (Matt 28:16, 17). The spiritual eyes of some of Christ s disciples were still not sensitive enough to sense into the spirit realm. All of Christ s disciples were on different levels of perceiving spiritual matters. Judas Iscariot remained fleshly, and his fleshly ideas in the presence of Christ who brings about life, brought death to him. Thomas also did not believe easily. Christ also did not breathed on Thomas to receive the Holy Spirit on the day Christ was resurrected from the grave. HEAVEN AND EARTH AS ONE FROM THE RESURRECTION FROM THE GRAVE From the time that Christ was resurrected from the grave, earth was one with heaven. Christ merely had to receive His reward from being able to bring earth one with heaven 8 days and 40 days after Christ was resurrected from the grave, by ascending into heaven on these 2 dates. The first date was to be raised up to the higher level of glory, operating from heaven with His whole being. The second date was to move into heaven permanently, after exploring heaven for a couple of days. For a whole period of 40 days, earth was one with heaven. It was one in the surroundings of Christ. It started with Christ s flesh dying completely on the cross. That is the way the first Adam operated as well, where the first Adam s flesh was dead as well his flesh was present, but in a deadened position, not being activated. For the first Adam, heaven and earth was one from the start. For example, the 2 trees in the garden referred to the Tree of Life, Christ, in the spiritual garden in the spirit realm, in God s spiritual kingdom, while the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was a tree in the physical, earthly, realm. These 2 trees were in the centre of the first Adam s spiritual and physical Garden of Eden. Heaven and earth as one is confirmed in the many events of Christ s disciples who were operating in physical bodies, but were seeing angels and seeing men in spiritual bodies in the spirit realm, even interacting with them. This started from the time when Christ was resurrected from the grave. The fact that Christ s disciples could sense spiritual beings, in particular near Christ s grave, implies that Christ was there as well, for the oneness in heaven and earth only applies in the surroundings of Christ. The intensity of earth being one with heaven was multiplied and intensified that much more when God descended from heaven, together with the cloud of witnesses, in order to give

10 8 Christ His reward, namely that Christ s environment also be aligned with His spirit, soul and body, where His flesh died completely while Christ s spirit ruled supreme. That was the time when Christ was ascended into heaven, 8 days and 40 days after His resurrection from the grave. During the whole prelude to Christ s ascension into heaven, and also during all of the processes of Christ ascending into heaven, earth was one with heaven in Christ s immediate surroundings. The focus is on Christ. Earth was aligned with heaven in Christ. Only those who had Christ at the centre of his heart and mind at that time experienced that earth and heaven was aligned. They had the most benefit of experiencing this oneness. The Roman guards at Christ s grave that also saw the angel coming down from heaven to roll away the stone, also experienced this oneness between heaven and earth, but with great fear and depredation, running away from the experience, instead of being drawn to it like a moth is drawn to light. Two sets of witnesses are present. One set is from the spiritual realm, while the other set is from the physical realm. These two sets of witnesses interact with each other because heaven and earth is one. Two of the many witnesses from the spiritual realm also become visible and talk to those (at least two) witnesses in the physical realm, because the spiritual and physical realms have become one. This occurred on the Mount of Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah spoke to Christ, and which was a prelude of the events which would occur on the mountain in Galilee, 8 days after Christ was resurrected from the grave. This also occurred on the mountain at Jerusalem, 40 days after Christ was resurrected from the grave, when Christ ascended permanently into heaven, and 2 men from the cloud of witnesses, most probably again Moses and Elijah, appeared and spoke (communicated) to Christ s disciples. PETER S CONFIRMATION THAT THE 2 REALMS BECAME ONE On the Mount of Transfiguration, when Peter proposed to construct 3 booths or huts (Luke 9:33); one for each of Jesus, Moses and Elijah, not only did Peter confirmed that the kingdom of heaven is here on earth, but Peter confirmed that for him it was indeed as though heaven and earth had become one. Peter said: "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"; (Luk 9:33). Therefore, Peter confirmed that he knew that the other two persons were Moses and Elijah, both of whom he knew were already dead long ago. Therefore, Peter knew that they must be in heaven. For Peter, it really looked as though Moses and Elijah were present there in the physical realm; and yet, they were in spiritual bodies, only visible by the eyes of Peter s spirit. It is therefore clear that for Peter it looked indeed as though heaven and earth had become one. As already indicated, the event on the Mount of Transfiguration was a prelude of what would happen a year later, 8 days after Christ was resurrected from the grave, according to Christ s words: the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner (John 5:19). CHRIST FOR A MOMENT NOT RESTRICTED TO TIME AND SPACE The fact that earth and heaven was one during Christ s ascension can already be observed during Christ s transfiguration on the Mount of Transfiguration, which took place a year prior to Christ s actual ascension into heaven.

11 9 At that moment on the Mount of Transfiguration, the physical, which is restricted to time, was one with the spiritual realm which is not restricted to time, i.e. which is eternally true. In that moment on the Mount of transfiguration, Christ operated without time restrictions. Christ saw into the future what it would be like when He ascends into heaven, when His harvest of dying on the cross, the cloud of witnesses, receives Him in their midst. As Christ has declared to His disciples before He went to the cross: unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain (John 12:24). Christ was the grain. The harvest He would reap would be the cloud of witnesses with Him in heaven. Those resurrected at the end of a season refers, where the end of Christ s season walking the earth in a physical body was still about one year ahead in the future. Christ already knew that He would be resurrected from the grave, because He was now standing, on the Mount of Transfiguration, amongst those with spiritual bodies, who would be resurrected as a result of His own death on the cross. These clouds of witnesses would only form after Christ died on the cross a year ahead in time. Christ knew that when He would be resurrected, saints would also be resurrected from the grave, and they would appear to many - those who were in the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, who could see in the spirit realm, just as they now appeared to 3 of Christ s disciples. Before that, these resurrected ones were in Abraham s bosom, the place of departed spirits, Sheol, the place of the dead. These saints would become the cloud of witnesses a year later. They would receive their spiritual bodies when Christ was resurrected from grave, which was still a future event to take place. Christ already saw them in the future right there on the Mount of Transfiguration. Christ already saw the fruit of His dying in the ground He saw His harvest. Christ was seeing in the future how His surroundings would changes, how His environment would change, for that is what the 8 th day after resurrection is all about. On the first day of the crucifixion, Christ s spirit went straight to God who gave it initially. On the third day after the crucifixion, Christ s body, which is an image of Christ s spirit, was resurrected, raised to a higher level of glory. And then on the 10 th day after crucifixion, the 8 th day after resurrection from the grave, Christ s environment would be raised to a higher level of glory as well. And since it was an event of Christ s surroundings being raised to a higher glory level, it automatically imply that Christ s 3 disciples, were part of Christ s earthly surroundings, would be able to share in this event, sensing the rule of their spirits increases as their flesh dies all the more. We know that the flesh of these 3 disciples died, because they, in their humbleness, did not mention this event in any of their gospels themselves the other disciples had to make mention of the events on the Mount of Transfiguration. When Christ commanded His 3 disciples: "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." (Matt 17:9), it was because it was an event in Christ s surroundings to take place in the future within the physical realm, when heaven (which is not restricted to time) and earth (restricted to time) will coincide. Christ knew what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration is a future event. The fact that the disciples could not talk about it until Christ was resurrected from the grave confirms that earth became one with heaven from the moment that Christ was resurrected from the grave. Christ s disciples could also partake in seeing this future event on the Mount of Transfiguration, because Christ s surroundings all around Him was part of experiencing earth becoming one with heaven. That includes the disciples in Christ s surroundings.

12 10 Moses and Elijah also spoke to Christ about a future event to take place, namely His ascension from the earthly to the heavenly Jerusalem (Luk 9:30, 31). That which Christ saw in the future, of the cloud of witness, receiving Him, eventually came true, and the 2 men that stood on the mountain and spoke to the disciples (Acts 1:10, 11), were Moses and Elijah that which Christ already saw in the future on the Mount of Transfiguration. All of that became true in time, a year later. HEAVEN AND EARTH ONE DURING CHRIST S ASCENSION At the moment when Christ was about to ascend permanently into heaven, the reality that heaven and earth has become one in Christ from the time that Christ was crucified, 43 days earlier, was intensified. The disciples were able to see in both the spiritual and physical realms simultaneously. They were able to see with their spiritual eyes the spiritual cloud of witnesses in God s spiritual kingdom all around them here on earth. They felt being part of the cloud of witnesses all around them. Yet, Christ at that particular moment of seeing the cloud of witnesses for the first time on that particular day, Christ has not yet ascended into heaven. Christ was still standing among them. Christ s body was already changed from matter to truths. Yet, Christ was still seen standing among them. Christ has not yet ascended into heaven. Christ has not yet vanished into heaven. The eyes of the disciples have only changed from predominantly operating through the eyes of their physical body to switching to the eyes of their spirits. Otherwise everything still looked the same around them. Christ looked the same. Only the presence of the cloud of witnesses in the spirit realm gave the disciples the realisation that their eyes have switched to their spiritual eyes dominating sight at that moment. The disciples of Christ was experiencing a bit of heaven, and of how the true image of God ought to operate, as God had initially ordained: Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Gen 1:26). The real image of God is able to operate to both the spiritual and physical realms simultaneously. What is important to note here is that although earth is aligned with heaven, Christ is no longer visible in the physical realm with the eyes of man s physical body. This is an important conclusion to make, before the process, or movement, or activities, actually start of Christ ascending into heaven, or moving into heaven. A fleshly orientated person whose spirit was still suppressed, would at this moment no longer have been able to see Christ, for Christ had been transformed, in the twinkling of an eye, from mass to truths, as Christ has declared: I am the truth (John 14:6). This is what happened with Enoch, of which God stated: Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him (Gen 5:24). Those in the days of Enoch who operated in the flesh could suddenly no longer see Enoch, for Enoch s body changed from particles of mass into God s truths which the people could no longer see. THE MEANING OF THIS ONENESS Heaven and earth becoming one does not imply that man is able to see with man s physical eyes what occurs in the spiritual realm, neither does it imply that man is able to see with man s spiritual eyes what occurs in the physical realm. The two sets of eye-sight of man remain uniquely distinct. However, when heaven and earth become one, it implies that man s soul is able to see through both man s spirit and man s body simultaneously. Since the sense of sight through man s spirit is quite suppressed in fallen man, even in the new creation man after rebirth of

13 11 his spirit, it actually revolves around man s soul being able to see better through man s spirit, using his spiritual eyes. SENSING WITH BOTH SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL EYES He (Christ) was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light (Mat 17:2). Christ s face, body and clothes were transformed in order to be aligned with the spiritual realm in which Christ was to pass over as part of the reality of the Passover feast. If someone were to be there on that mountain as well, but operating in the flesh, they would have noticed nothing at all when Christ s face started to shine as bright as the sun, because Christ at that moment could only be perceived in that way with man s spiritual eyes. If man s soul has never trained man s spiritual eyes to see, then man s soul will merely be able to see through the eyes of man s body which is worthless to perceive in the spirit realm. The reality is that Christ s 3 disciples saw a vision. A vision can only be seen through the eyes of man s spirit. Christ confirmed that they saw a vision. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." (Matt 17:9). A vision contains God s truths, just as a picture in the physical realm contains packages of energy called mass, particles of dust. When you are able to see both pictures in the physical realm and pictures in the spiritual realm, your spiritual eyes are superimposed on top of your physical eyes. They operate simultaneously, as though they are one. That is when heaven and earth becomes one for you. This also implies that someone who operated in the flesh would merely have perceived that Christ disappeared from the eye-sight of his body. That is all. Christ would have disappeared in the same way as Enoch has disappeared: And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him (Gen 5:24). John would eventually see Christ a year later ascend into heaven in the same way as John saw Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration Christ s face shining as bright as the sun. That is how John started to see Christ again in the Book of Revelation, when God gave John insight and wisdom concerning Christ: His (Christ s) countenance was like the sun shining in its strength (Rev 1:16). That is exactly the way John saw Christ ascending into heaven from close to Jerusalem. That is exactly the same way Christ returns to John in vision. The message of Christ of making Himself again known as the one whose face shines as bright as the sun is that He is the first one being raised to that higher level of glory, and that the content of the Book of Revelation is all about how Christ raises man up to higher levels of glory in Christ at the end of seasons in a person s life. If someone operating in the flesh would have been right there with John on the Island of Patmos, he would not have seen Christ at all, even though John perceived Christ as shining as bright as the sun. This is why Christ warns people to take the passing over seriously, to enter, to see, to explore, to inhabit and to possess Christ spiritual kingdom of heaven. Man has to train his spiritual senses all the more, otherwise, Christ would visit him from the spiritual realm, and he will not know when that happens. Then Christ comes to him as a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10), at the end of a season in a person s life, when the day of Lord arrives for that person for that particular season. Christ declared:.if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you (Rev 3:3). Thus, you have to clothe yourself with Christ. You have to put on Christ (Gal 3:27), which means that you have to become like Christ, who

14 12 continually moved to higher levels of glory in passing over, in seeing and perceiving in the spiritual realm with His spiritual senses. If you do not clothe your being with Christ, you are completely naked spiritually. "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame" (Rev 16:15). The spiritual white clothes given to man refer to the righteous acts in Christ, that is, when man s soul first senses to Christ in heaven, to first hear from Him what to do and say, before acting out through man s body: And to her (the bride of Christ) it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Rev 19:8). It is during those moments when man is raised to a higher level of glory, when man s harvest is presented, the clouds of witnesses, that man s soul experience a bit of being closer to God, of having more intimacy with God, experiencing the wedding of the Lamb. It is here that Christ told the parable of the wedding where a person attended the wedding without the proper (spiritual) wedding garments on: "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matt 22:11-13). Those who operate in the flesh do not have the wedding garment on. They cannot be raised to a higher level of glory, to have more intimacy with God. They are given what their souls wanted: not to repent. They are given more of the fleshly territory they wanted, in which Christ has given demonic forces power and authority to operate in, the earthly, the fleshly. It is in there that man will cry, weep and experience greater levels of stress and anxiety which will result in his teeth gnashing upon each other. There is therefore only one way to obtain the correct spiritual clothes, and that is to pass all the more over to God s spiritual kingdom of heaven, and being raised incrementally to higher levels of glory, until both the earth and the heavenly realms become one, just as it has happened with Christ. AN INDICATOR OF BEING A PROPER IMAGE OF GOD When earth and heaven becomes one, when man is able to heavenise earth in such a way that it aligns with heaven, then man becomes a proper image of God as God had initially intended man ought to be when God declared: "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Gen 1:26). Then you know how to rule the earth, in dependence of God. Then you know how God s righteousness works. You realize that God s righteousness works in both heaven and earth. Then God is able to entrust the earth into your hands. Then God is able to tell you the same as God had told Christ: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Mat 28:18). You need in any this authority and power in order to rule the earth. You need the authority in both heaven and on earth in order to ensure that heaven and earth aligns with each other, to know how to align earth with heaven.

15 13 3. AN UPWARDS MOVEMENT INTO HEAVEN This chapter briefly focuses on Christ moving slightly upwards at an angle when ascending, being taken up, or caught up, into heaven. CHRIST EXPERIENCED AN UPWARD MOVEMENT WHILE ENTERING HEAVEN The Book of Acts starts off with Christ being taken up : The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen (Acts 1:1, 2). It is stated that Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight (Acts 1:9). "beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection" (Act 1:22). The 2 witnesses in the spirit realm confirmed to the disciples of Christ what happened with Christ. Christ was lifted up from among you into heaven (Acts 1:11). What happens here is seen by the disciples in the presence of the spirit beings, the cloud of witnesses, in the spiritual realm through the spiritual eyes of the disciples. Christ been lifted up occurs in the presence of the cloud of witnesses. Christ been lifted up not only involves an upward movement, but Christ s being also being transformed from the physical realm into the spiritual realm. OTHER EXAMPLES OF MOVING UPWARDS Christ, the Word of God, in the form of a messenger bringing a word, the Angel of the Lord, went up towards heaven in an incident described in the Book of Judges. it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar; the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. When the Angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the LORD (Judges 13:20, 21). Christ fulfilled this event when Christ ascended into heaven. In the case of the disciple John, John heard a voice, Christ s voice, saying come up here (Rev 4:1), and immediately he was deeper in the Spirit. After the promises given to the church of what lies ahead for them if they press on into the Holy of Holies in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, John is now given the opportunity to describe all of those things as they are in the Holy of Holies the place towards which the church has to press through to possess, which is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the Holy of Holies, and includes the New Jerusalem described in Rev 21 and 22. John went deeper into God s spiritual kingdom, which means that he went up. In the same way, God summoned Moses up the mountain, which refers to come up here (Rev 4:1; 11:12), to allow man s mind to move into heavenly places. Moses was an image of Christ. If Christ eventually obeyed the instruction to come up here (Rev 4:1; 11:12), then followers of Christ will also go the same route.

16 14 CHRIST ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN Christ experienced the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, i.e. from out of the spirit realm until He could clearly see the saints all around Him, after which He, standing on a mountain, ascended into heaven. Numerous scripture verses indicate that Christ ascended into heaven, which implies an upward movement. Christ has declared to the Jews "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world (John 8:23). Furthermore, Christ has declared: "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven (John 3:13). If you came down (John 3:13) from heaven, then when you return to heaven you will have to move up towards heaven or as the 2 spiritual witnesses declared: lifted up into heaven (Acts 1:11), where spiritual heaven is here on earth. Thus, Christ s disciples did see Christ ascending into heaven by moving upwards. Christ said: "What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? (John 6:62). Even 33 days earlier, that is, the 8 th day after Christ was resurrected from the grave, Christ indicated that He is going to ascend to His Father, when He presented the cloud of witnesses before His Father as His harvest. Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'" (John 20:17). Come up here (Rev 4:1) implies to go along with the vision that the Holy Spirit shows John through his spirit while His body is still on the earth, just as Paul was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor 12:2) it is the kingdom of heaven which is inside of you within you (Luk 17:21) that is at work, that is intensifying its rule over man s flesh. When man operates deeper in the Spirit, in God s spiritual kingdom, the instruction to come up here would imply to go deeper in the Spirit. However for those disciples of Christ who are still very much confined to the restrictions of the physical realm, the instruction to come up here at a time when heaven and earth have become one, will involve also a movement upwards as is usually observed in the physical realm. THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRIST MOVING UPWARDS To be lifted up to a higher level of glory was what Christ experienced, moving from one level of glory to a higher level of glory. Christ was then lifted up from among them, confirms that Christ s spirit ruled supreme, allowing Him to see better into the spiritual realm. In that way, Christ was already lifted up to a higher level of glory. Christ s ability to see better into the spiritual realm, also affected Christ immediate earthly surroundings, as Christ has prayed Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). Therefore, Christ s disciples in His immediate surroundings were able to see better into the spiritual realm as well. It is an immediate spin-off of Christ s being been lifted up to a higher level of glory. Just as Christ was above the waters, walking on waters, Christ and the cloud of witnesses now reveal that they are above the earth spiritually, being able to walk on air, independent of the gravity of the earth. One of the issues when man moves into eternity, into the spirit realm, is that man becomes no longer restricted by gravity of the earth. And yet, this cloud of witnesses was among Christ s disciples as well here on earth. They were serving, just as Christ is the largest servant of all. Christ s whole being became freer of the physical realm. When God lifts a person up from suppressing circumstances, He becomes freer of that circumstance. In the case of Christ, it

17 15 became true that You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). Christ was set freer from the limitations of time and space and gravity of the physical realm. And in the process He became the Way, as He declared I am the way (John 14:6). When a person operates in eternal life, he is able to move in and out of the physical realm, not being restricted to time and space. The lift upwards occurs in both the spiritual and physical realms, for these realms have become one in Christ. They are superimposed on top of each other. Ascending into heaven in the spirit realm means to move more into the spirit realm which is not restricted to time, space, gravity, mass, and directions. However, ascending into heaven in the physical realm means an upward movement. When the spiritual realm and the physical realm is one in Christ, then both are true at that moment. Both occur simultaneously. Although in the physical realm it appears that Christ moved upwards into the air, but in the spirit realm it involves other awareness. In the spirit realm, being lifted up higher, coming higher, means to be more, or deeper, in the Spirit. The up in the spiritual realm does not mean going vertically up, because the spirit realm is not restricted or constraint by directions such as North, East, West, South, up or down. John heard a voice saying come up here (Rev 4:1), and immediately he was deeper in the Spirit. At once I was in the Spirit. (Rev 4:2). John was already in the Spirit On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit. (Rev 1:10). Now, John moved merely more in the Spirit to obey the call to come up there. Up means to be more in the Spirit, to see through the power of the Holy Spirit more into the spirit realm, into the kingdom of heaven. Then your thoughts become God s thoughts, which is higher than the thoughts of man. God s thoughts are not physically higher or up-somewhere than the thoughts of man. It merely means that God s thoughts are better than man s fleshly thoughts. Christ says in Rev 4, come up here (Rev 4:1), which in the spirit realm means that man ascends deeper into the spirit realm, but in the physical realm it means that man moves in an upwards direction. Both were true when Christ ascended into heaven, because heaven and earth were one in that moment. The spirit realm is not restricted to directions and space. Yet, when man is deeper in the Spirit, many things change in the mind of man s soul. Fragmentation created by Satan and man s flesh diminishes. Man is able to see better the oneness in the scriptures, and how verses are all linked up and interconnected with each other. It is really as though a person is able to get a bird s eye view easier without any strain. It is as though man is really on a high mountain been able to see further. Come up here is the same as rise up or mount up in the verse They shall mount up with wings like eagles (Isa 40:31). In the case of the disciple John receiving the instruction to come up here (Rev 4:1), John did not move physically upwards into a physical sky. John s spiritual eyes were opened all the more so that he could see deeper into the kingdom of heaven through his spirit. His body was still in the same position on earth at that moment of seeing more clearly in the spirit realm. John s body was still on the island of Patmos. The Holy Spirit made John s soul saw more clearly in the spirit realm. When man s being is placed on a higher level of glory, that is, his spirit rules all the more over his soul, man s soul is able to perceive the church, or body, of Christ all the better, represented by being taken up in the Spirit to a high mountain (Rev 21:10) and perceiving the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, descending down.

18 16 The New Jerusalem descending down when you ascend into heaven to a higher level of glory is exactly the cloud of witnesses coming with Christ, descending down from heaven. What actually happens here is that when God s instruction is given of come up here (Rev 4:1), the reality of the cloud of witnesses (or the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem) becomes so much more real, as though they move out of the mist and can be perceived at a greater intensity, a deeper realisation of their existence. It is as though the heavenly city descends down on you (Rev 21:1). Then it becomes true what Paul has described: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven. And the dead in Christ will rise first.then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. (1 Thess 4:16, 17) The come up here (Rev 4:1) takes you to the place of the promises for those who overcome, reflected as a promise at the end of each of the letters to the churches in Rev 2 and 3. When you come up here (Rev 4:1) you overcome. The ideal is that a person overcomes continually. When Elisha saw Elijah ascending into heaven, Elisha was also lifted up spiritually. His spirit ruled all the more, while his flesh died more, allowing him to be anointed. And this anointing also allowed him to be on a spiritual mountain, being able to see very far ahead. This is what Elisha also experienced, being able to see into the enemy s camp with his spirit while he himself is several kilometers away from the enemy camp. Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place." The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?" None of us, my lord the king, said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom." (2 Kings 6:8-12). You have to go up there, in heaven, where God is, because God declared As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts... (Isa 55:9). Initially it will only be man s mind, but eventually, just as in the case of Christ, it involves man s whole being, spirit, soul and body. To be lifted up to a higher level of glory in the physical realm may also involve not physically moving upwards. For example, when a person moves from secondary school to tertiary education, he is moving upwards, to a higher level of glory. Yet, the person did not move up in the air. This is an image of what actually happens in the spiritual realm, when man moves spiritually upwards. He actually moves deeper in the Holy Spirit, becoming more dependent on the Holy Spirit. GOING DOWN If you do not come up here (Rev 4:1), your soul falls, and remains fallen. Then your being goes down, moving all the more into fleshly thinking. Christ declared: Remember the heights from which you have fallen (Rev 2:5). The height is the height of the flesh ruling in man, not allowing man s spirit to rule. This height is also the same as the height required for man s spirit to rule only the inverse of the height of the rule of man s flesh. It is the same height which states to come up here (Rev 4:1), to possess the spiritual kingdom of heaven, to be taken to the top of a high mountain (Rev 21:10), to have a bird s eye view (Rev 8:13) of the church or body of Christ and Christ s fire that burns away man s flesh.