Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write so as to include in the Bible the event of when Jacob saw the Ascending and Descending of Angels. (Genesis 28:10-22)
Jacob was on a journey, and as he slept outdoors one night, some Angels entered into his dream. In his dream, he saw a ladder set up on Planet Earth, reaching all the way up to the City of God, and all through the night, he saw angels ascending and descending up and down the ladder. Also, He saw the Lord standing above the ladder, and He promised Jacob two things.
(1) He promised him where he and his descendants would live on Planet Earth.
(2) He promised him that he would be with him wherever he would journey while living on Planet Earth.
The second promise really impressed Jacob.
VERSE 1 – And Jacob awaked out of his sleep; and said, Surely the Lord is in this place: and I knew it not. – Genesis 28:16
VERSE 2 – And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven – Genesis 28:17
I want to point out here something Jacob said, which I think is a spiritual truth that is both lacking in and very important to us as Christians today. Because of the ascending and descending of angels, which we will call an open heaven, he said the temple of God is at the base of the open heaven, and that temple is the gateway to heaven. This establishes two important facts. Although we know God is everywhere by his spirit, his abode is not everywhere. We know our Father’s Shekinah presence dwelled with Israel in the tent of meeting and eventually in the temple, and we know that since New Testament days, our Father dwells within the born-again believer who is his temple according to 1 Corinthians 6. But I want to submit to you that, in this new season, the Lord has told me he will begin
to abide in local places of worship again as in days of old. I said local places of worship and not just church buildings because some of them will be church buildings, but some will be just plain old houses or anywhere his people meet. The point is where there is a gateway or portal, there is much angelic activity to carry out the purposes of God.
VERSE 3 – And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at first. –Genesis 28:19
VERSE 4 – And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. – Genesis 28:22
Here is something else that is very important: the tithes were established for or significant to the house of God and we see why: to carry out the work of the ministry. This also establishes something else; the tithe is not just confined to the local church but is appropriately given wherever God’s name and presence reside.
When Jacob awoke from his dream, he sensed our Father’s presence with him and was so impressed by his experience he named the place Bethel, which means house of God , and felt that it was a place of worship. Jacob actually experienced the glory of our Father that night. There are two things Jacob began to understand that permitted him to experience the glory of our Father. Notice that the glory he felt came by way of revelation.
(1) He realized that all forms of life on planet Earth, including his own, came from our Father. Jacob realized that when he was conceived in his mother’s womb, our Father breathed the breath of life into him so that he came alive both as a spirit being and a human being.
(2) Jacob realized that not only did our Father live in the City of God Above, but also
that somehow our Father was with Jacob for his journey on planet Earth.
VERSE 5 – Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of cunning work shall thou make them. EXODUS 26:1 and see also Exodus 25:16-22
“The word tabernacle also means house of Our Father. Our Father gave instructions to Moses on how to build a tent tabernacle, which would have the Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat in it to be the worship center for Our Father’s Chosen People as they traveled to the Promised Land. Our Father’s plan was that they continue to experience the same meaning that Jacob had experienced during his dream, though this was not a promise that all would see the Ascending and Descending of Angels. Our Father continued this plan when He had the Tabernacle enlarged into the Temple to be the worship center for Our Father’s Chosen People in the City of God on Planet Earth.”
I sense that our Father wants to take his houses back. He wants to establish them for the purpose that he wanted all along. He intended for them to be places of worship that happened to give instructions for daily living, not the other way around. Worship has become a side issue to the body, something that we just do quickly to get out of the way to get to something else. As we worship so much is supposed to happen in and around us and in our community as we lift him up. Didn’t he say, “If I be lifted up I will draw…?” Now, this doesn’t take the place of sharing the good news, but it certainly gives more power to it. In Acts chapter 5, it says that the disciples, after they had been beaten, returned to their own company and told what happened, lifted their voices to worship, and the place shook, and they were filled with power again (to do what?) to witness.
Our places of worship are without power because we have reversed the order. You can’t teach power in to people but you can certainly worship it down upon them.
VERSE 6 – But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how though oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God which is the church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth. 1 Timothy 3:15
So this scripture establishes what I just said; there is order and right conduct in the house. It is a place of instruction and it is alive not because of the people but because of the presence of our Father in the people and in the building.
“The Greek word translated Church in this verse is the word ekklesia meaning when Born Again Christians leave their homes and gather in a public place for worship. This means that even today, when a group of Born Again Christians gathers together for public worship, they can have the same meaning of worship as experienced by Jacob. Again, this does not mean that all will see the Ascending and Descending of Angels.”
I want to submit to you what the Holy Spirit told me: all churches do not have a permanent open heaven or ascending and descending of angels. They can, but they don’t, just as you don’t see it mentioned anywhere in scripture. Just because you buy a building, or build one for that matter, does not mean God will put his name there. His people may meet in it, and his presence comes because they are there, but his presence does not abide there, though that is what he desires. And there can be many reasons why it does not. Is the person in charge called to do what they are doing? Does Holy Spirit have free reign in the place? Does it exalt the name of Jesus? Etc.
VERSE 7 – Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you? – 1 Corinthians 3:16
“Though this verse does not mean that all Born Again Christians will see the Ascending and
Descending of Angels, each individual Born Again Christian becomes a temple of God and thus can experience the same meaning of worship Jacob experienced.”
You see it’s up to you whether you experience an open heaven as Jacob did. It is determined by the meaningful worship that you display in your life. Another thing: you can’t have worship without prayer because meaningful worship will lead into prayer whether it’s spiritual warfare or the prayer of praise and worship. Our Father told me at the beginning of the year that this will be a year of fire, transition, and restoration. Because of what is coming the open heaven that our Father desires all of his children to walk under is not just for the purpose of the miraculous and spiritual warfare but for protection as well. Remember the word said the angel of the Lord encamped about them that fear him. A deeper revelation of this scripture is an open heaven.
As we taught before, an open heaven is a portal created by angels that encircles a person, or building, or city, or nation etc. It constitutes a place of refuge, the entrance being the gates of heaven into the house of God in which we are within and without. As you all know our dear Bro. Canceled the open heaven conference in Israel this year. I believe one of the reasons is that war is coming to Israel before the end of the year. Haven't you noticed over the past 100 years that every time there is a war in Israel, something major happens in the church? There will not only be difficult times, but because of these difficult times, our Father desires to bring his entire body into an open-heaven experience. This will be a place where we will do what Jesus did, walk in both realms and experience the seven spirits of the Lord.
