An Open Heaven

Four characteristics

Generally these seasons are characterized by at least four things: revelation, visitation, habitation, and inundation.

Revelation

First, let us consider revelation. Jesus ‘read Nathaniel’s mail’. Seeing him, in the spirit, under the fig tree he revealed his inner nature as a man without guile. Despite being stunned by this amazing revelation Jesus promised him, “You shall see greater things than that…you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (Jn 1:50, 51).

Jesus is alluding to Jacob’s dream of Genesis 28. Falling asleep Jacob saw a ladder resting on the earth with its top reaching into heaven—in fact, a stairway to heaven. By this means the angels of God were ascending and descending. In Christ we now have an open heaven; he is the means by which heaven and earth communicate. Through him heaven comes to earth—ministering spirits are sent to men below, bearing the commands and comforts of our heavenly Father. And in turn they bear the prayers and praises of the saints back to heaven. In Christ a divine interchange is now possible between heaven and earth.

Angelic visitations, dreams, visions, and prophecies are all characteristics of an open heaven. An open and supernatural communication occurs. This is the “normal” Christian life. As Paul testified, “I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows” (2 Cor 12:2). For those who are in Christ supernatural encounters are to be expected. And when ‘appointed times’ (kairos) occur in the life of an individual, church, or even a nation they only increase in their intensity and incidence. We are in such a time.