Lions no longer lay next to lambs. Instead, carnivores developed, and food became a limited resource. Venom, claws, and sharp teeth replaced the once peaceful balance that rested between all living creatures.
Currently, while you are reading this article, the Earth is still going through changes. Earthquakes, tornadoes and floods, hurricanes, climate changes, and erupting volcanoes are on the rise. These all signify the birth pangs of the next fall in glory. Once the rapture occurs, then the restraining power of the church will be removed from this world, and leave it spiritually bare for Satan to enter and destroy. The Antichrist will come as a courting groom, only to leave his bride to the hands of destruction.
Then finally, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings will return in all His glory, destroy the Antichrist, and establish His kingdom. The Earth will finally be rising in glory once again. But the rise to the highest level of glory won't be complete for the Earth until after Satan is released one last time, and destroyed in the lake of fire once and for all. Then, as it is written, a new heaven and new Earth will replace all that currently exists, (Revelation 21:1-2). Hell will be removed from the center of the Earth, and cast into another place called the lake of fire. In essence, the heart of the Earth will be cleansed for all eternity.
Seeing that the spiritual aspect of heaven, which I've been speaking of with the term "level of glory," is applied to both humans, and the entire Earth, I invite you, the reader, to broaden this spectrum further. Don't restrict the aspect of a level of glory to just the Earth. Broaden it to encompass the physical heavens, (outer space), which I mentioned at the start of this article. So far as I can see in my study of scripture, I find nothing to refute this dual perspective in defining the nature of heaven, or the heavens. In fact, I find only evidence to support the fact that we live in a multi-dimensional universe, or rather, a multi-verse. Scientific evidence supports this view as well (which I have discussed in another article called Understanding Heaven via Quantum Physics).
The implications of this understanding of heaven can be staggering. For one thing, it provides a new perspective on the term "host of heaven," found eighteen times in the OT and once in the NT. Host is a term that refers to large numbers, and in the context of the term host of heaven, it refers to large numbers of life forms in the heavens. This is especially evident in Nehemiah 9:6.
Nehemiah 9:6.
Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the
heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
In light of the information expounded upon in this article, what might this term mean? If Host = intelligent life forms, and Heaven (synonymous with the Heavens) = outer space, as clearly defined in Genesis 1:15-18, then might this one phrase, mentioned nineteen times in the Bible, be paraphrased as "intelligent life forms in outer space?"
Today:
Printer
friendly version
