Opening The Heavens
(week 27/08)
Olubi Johnson
Luke 3:21-22 (ESV): Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, (22) and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Here, the scripture reveals to us that when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist the heavens were opened so the Holy Spirit could come upon him.
We need to understand that there are 3 sets of heavens:
Genesis 1:1 (ESV): In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (ESV): (2) I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. (3) And I know that this man was caught up into paradise–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows– (4) and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
We have the heavens where God abides, the heavenly places where evil spirits operate and the physical heavens where we have the physical stars and planets:
Ephesians 6:12(ESV): For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Now when we pray and God sends the answers through angelic messengers, they come from the 3rd. heavens, through the 2nd heavens to bring the answer into our physical heavens so we can experience the physical manifestation of the answers.
Spiritual warfare takes place between the angels of God and Satanic angels in the 1st and 2nd heavens and whoever prevails determines whether the heavens are ‘opened’ or ‘closed’: when the angels of God prevail the heavens are opened, when through our lack of effectual, fervent, consistent prayer in the spirit, evil spirits withstand the angels of God, then the heavens are ‘closed’.
Daniel 10:1-3 (ESV): In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. (2) In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. (3) I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.
Daniel 10:10-13 (ESV): And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. (11) And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. (12) Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. (13) The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
Observe that it was the spiritual power released through Daniel’s perseverance in fasting and praying that caused the angel to get the reinforcement of the arch-angel Michael to prevail over the evil spirit the ‘prince of Persia’ and ultimately bring the answer to Daniel after 21 days.
Psalms 103:20 (ESV): Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!
It is God’s Word either in tongues (1 Corintians 14.2) or in the understanding (1 Corintians 14.15) that we speak in prayer that authorize and empower the angels to bring into physical manifestation the answers to our prayers.
In our article next week we will see practically how to ‘open’ the heavens.
