And Jesus, when He was baptised, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo the heavens were open unto Him, and lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matt. 3: 16-17).
Heaven is the abode of God, and a dwelling for other celestial beings such as the angels and the 24 elders, who together with the church worship God (Rev: 7:11).
It is also the throne of God. John’s revelation in the Island of Pathmos about Jesus Christ and God throws light on the glorious activity of worship which place in heaven. “And all the angels stood round about the throne …and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: blessing, and glory and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power…be unto God forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 7:11-12).
This worship return elicits illumination from the sight of God to the worshippers. The spirit of the righteous also dwells in heaven after their mortal life; therefore, it is a place or state of existence of the blessed. It is symbolically used to express an experience of bliss and a state of supreme happiness for the righteous. Its dimensional application connotes the activities of other natural elements such as the sky, the firmament, the stars, or expanse of space surrounding the earth.
These natural elements situated above the earth constitute veritable forces in the hands of God to perfect His divine activities on earth.
Symbolically, therefore, the heavens are characterised by God’s unflinching favour, grace, peace of mind, fulfilment, good health, abundant yield of harvest by the land, shower of rain upon the land, the outpouring of His spirit upon man for successful service, increase and divine promotion, approval and confirmation.
According to our text (Matt. 3:16-17), the heavens can at one time be “open or closed”. Looking at the scriptures, we discover that each man or woman, each locality, church, organisation, nation, fellowship or career seems to have its heaven over its head.
According to Evang. Gbile Akanni, “it is also important for us to understand that each man operates virtually under a heaven space”. The space is marked out for each person. If the heavens over a man, over a family, or over a church should be closed, it may not be the same with others around him.
Brethren, it is possible for you to seek your heavens to be opened just as Jesus did. In the preceding verses of our text, our Lord, Jesus Christ, deliberately walked up to John in Jordan seeking baptism. Jesus understood that the deep reality of a fulfilled ministry and the oil of grace which enhances service depended so much on the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon His head.
-Jesus knew that no man ever succeeded in service to God and to humanity as long as the heavens remain closed to him.
– Jesus understood the fact that the voice of heaven over his life is automatically the voice of confirmation and approval of ministry. So He was in the right business. Consequently, the event at Jordan did not only serve the purpose of ordinary baptism, but an introduction of Jesus to the world and his induction into a glorious ministry. He paid a price to unlock the heavens over His head by humbly accepting the ritual of baptism from John, which symbolises spiritual rebirth.
When the heavens opened, it opened only to him despite the multitude that came to John. It is pertinent to note the divine activities that take place when the heavens open:
(a) The Holy Spirit of God descended like a dove. This is symbolic of anointing and power that equip anyone for a successful career and ministry. Open heaven, therefore, comes with extra-ordinary anointing.
(b) And lo, a voice came from heaven… Open heaven comes with the announcement of approval. God speaks from above to approve men called for his service.
(c) …Saying: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Open heaven comes with God’s announcement of delight and pleasure over the ones He chooses. For Jesus, it was also a voice of introduction which erases issues of doubt in human minds over the authenticity of His ministry. This voice authenticated Jesus’ unique sonship and offered the father’s support of His mission. It was also a voice of confirmation of the
originality and source of His ministry which subsequently created confidence and trust in the heart of all those who came in contact with Jesus.
Are your heavens open or closed? This question shall be our reflections for next week.
