3. The Provisions in the Environment
overcame. One factor decided whether or not there was defeat or victory. In the former case, there was disobedience to God's word, while in the latter case, there was obedience to His word. The failure in Eden, which was an insubordination of God's will, became the root of the world's rebellion. Our Lord, on the other hand, overcame the enemy and his temptation three times in the wilderness with the Scriptures. The devil's temptations appeared harmless; in fact they seemed to be very good. But the Lord Jesus cautiously abode by the word of the Scriptures. This is why He overcame completely in the end. Therefore, in our daily life, the most important rule is the Bible. If in everything, we seek the teaching of the Scriptures, we will not walk apart from God's will. Whenever we sense the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we should ask if the prompting is scriptural. We should ask if what we consider to be the Holy Spirit's prompting is indeed His prompting. If we ask ourselves in this way, we will prove its authenticity. All Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the whole Bible reveals God's will. It is impossible for the Holy Spirit to inspire Scriptures in one way and prompt us in another way. It is impossible for God's will to be revealed in the Bible in one way and for the Holy Spirit to prompt us in another way. This can never happen. The prompting of the Holy Spirit will never contradict the teaching of the Bible. The Bible and the Holy Spirit forever walk and work together; they show us the way we ought to take. They are one in revealing God's will to us, and they never disagree. If we say that we have the prompting of the Holy Spirit concerning a certain matter, and yet the matter contradicts the Scriptures, our socalled prompting of the Holy Spirit must be a wrong one. We should remember this well. Whenever a prompting does not match the Scriptures, we should be quiet and not proceed. The best proof of whether or not a prompting is from the Holy Spirit is to see if the prompting contradicts the Scriptures. Sometimes, however, it seems as if the Scriptures do not say yes or no about a certain matter. For example, you may want to go to a certain place to preach. It is scriptural for you to go because the Bible has clear teaching encouraging this. But it can equally justify you not to go, because sometimes the Lord forbade His apostles from preaching in certain places. At such times, you have to be careful in distinguishing between the prompting of the Holy Spirit and other forces. If there is indeed the leading of the Holy Spirit, you can proceed.
3. The Provisions in the Environment
The environment is often the best instrument for the manifestation of God's will. This does not refer to man's reactions of approval or disapproval. It refers to God's provisions in our personal environment. We may walk in God's will and still encounter misunderstandings and oppositions from men. Human opposition is not a circumstantial indicator for us to stop doing a certain thing. Did not the apostles in the first churches find themselves opposed by many people? Were they not imprisoned often? Their environment indeed was against them. Yet did they not walk according to God's will? They said, "It is necessary to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). They obeyed God and were walking according to His will. This is why we say that the environment manifests God's will; we are not saying that everyone in our environment will always agree with what we do. We are saying that God makes "provisions" in our environment for us. If everyone opposes our work, it is all right, because that may be an instigation from Satan. Beyond men, God abides above all the circumstances and makes personal provisions for us. If God has called us to His work, He will certainly make provision for all our needs, so that we will have the physical strength as well as the financial means to accomplish the work. Sometimes He will even send angels to help us and facilitate our journey. God's hand is often manifested through the environment. He is always behind the daily events around us. A mature Christian can often see the turning of God's hand in the environment. God is the God behind all causes. He is the source of everything and the destiny of everything. If a believer has learned to seek after God's will in the environment, he is blessed. A believer who has consecrated himself should, on the one hand, oppose everything that is from Satan, and should, on the other hand, accept his environment and consider it to be from God and part of God's provision. If God has not allowed it, we know that nothing can come upon us. We can see this in the book of Job. Although Satan was the source of all woes, God was behind Satan and restraining him. Satan was limited by God in everything. In the Bible we find that God's hand is sovereignly controlling and moving behind many events. This is true not only with big events, but with small events as well. God is the God of the great things, and He is also the God of the small things. If a believer's hairs are numbered, is there anything else that cannot be in God's hand? Blessed are those who know Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Therefore, after a believer has the prompting of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Bible, he should still consider God's provisions in his environment. If God wants him to do a certain thing, He will surely give him the opportunity, time, and strength (both physical and spiritual) to do such a thing. If he needs a co-worker, God will provide one. He will fully provide everything that he needs. Jehovah will provide! (Gen. 22:14). If we are truly walking in God's will, we will see many "coincidences" and many "accidental things" coming across our way. Actually, these are not "coincidences" and "accidents," but God's provisions. God puts all these matters together, and He helps and supplies us according to our need. Those who are truly walking according to His will need not struggle for outward things, because God causes all things to be the platform upon which He accomplishes His work for His servants and His maids. Although there may be oppositions, God will provide for all the needs. God uses the above three things to manifest Himself. Every time God guides His children, He uses these three things. Moreover, these three things give the same testimony as to whether or not our acts are according to God's will. The Holy Spirit, the Bible, and the environment do not contradict one another. If there are contradictions, we can be assured that it is not God's will. In doing anything, we must remember these three things. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES Sometimes there are special circumstances. There may be two opposing thoughts in the heart. It seems that doing a certain thing is God's will, and not doing it is also God's will. It is difficult to decide which is right and which is wrong. The teaching of the Bible does not forbid us from doing it or not doing it, and it is hard to decide what to do. The provisions in the environment are conducive both for doing and not doing it. All three factors have an ambivalent weight. Under such circumstances, the best thing to do is to adopt a stand against Satan. If we honestly desire to do God's will, we should resolve at such a time to have a firm attitude, to agree with everything that comes from God, and to oppose everything that is from Satan. Although we may not know as yet what is of God and what is not of God, we can adopt the attitude that we want everything that is from God and refuse everything that is not from Him. We can pray, "God! I want what You want. I do not want what You do not want. Please prove to me what is of You and what is not of You." If we are truly after God's will, He will soon show us what is of Him and what is not of Him. He will make us clear. We cannot emphasize this matter enough because it is very important. Sometimes Satan will try to confuse
us and make us lost. If we continue to oppose Satan, and stand with the Father's will, sooner or later all the confusion will be dispersed.
NOT DOING WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW Before we are clear about God's will, it is best that we not do what we are not clear about. We should absolutely wait before God until we are clear, and then act accordingly. Sometimes God sees that we will profit if He delays revealing His will to us. At such times, we should adopt the attitude that we will not do what we do not know. The psalmist said, "Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me" (Psa. 131:1). Therefore, before we are clear, and when things are "too high" for us, we should not do anything lest we regret it later. Many mistakes and regrets come from hasty decisions. Our danger lies in being active and trying to act before we are clear about the Lord's will. The Lord wants us to wait on Him, to advance at His pace, and to move on only after we are clear about God's will. Unfortunately, we are often urged by our environment to do things rashly. When this happens, we do things outside God's will. We can be assured of one thing: when we do things rashly, eight out of ten times, we are not walking according to the Lord's will. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He never did one thing rashly. We should imitate Him. Before we are absolutely clear of the Lord's will, we should not move presumptuously. We have to make up our mind not to initiate anything until we are clear about God's will. Sometimes when we are stirred up or when we are pressured, we make promises to others. If we find out later that this was not God's will, what should we do? God's Word says, "Should he swear to his harm, / He does not change" (Psa. 15:4). This verse refers to the conduct of a believer. A believer should deal righteously with others. "Let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no" (Matt. 5:37); we should not be "yes and no" (2 Cor. 1:19). Therefore, we cannot break our promise. If we find ourselves in this situation, the only thing we can do is to confess the mistake of our promise before the Lord and pray that the Lord would cause the promise not to come into effect. He will open up the way. Perhaps through such a mistake, the Lord will show us some additional matters to which we should submit. Although it is a curse to make mistakes, the Lord can turn "the curse into a blessing" (Deut. 23:5). At these times we should be particularly patient and wait on the Lord. SAVING TROUBLE
Many busy activities are vain because what is done is not done according to God's will. If our work is done apart from God's will, the Lord whom we serve will not be happy. We may be busy from morning till evening, but the work we do may not reap spiritual benefit; we will not receive praise or reward from God for these works. If we are willing to work only after we are clear about God's will, we will save ourselves many unnecessary hours of busy work. We will not be busy from morning till evening, and we will have more quiet time before the Lord to fellowship with Him. SMALL THINGS In our daily life, we should seek after the Lord's will this way in everything. If we seek after our own will and act carelessly in the small things of our daily life, and do not seek after the Lord's will until we encounter the great things, the Lord will seem very far away from us when we do seek after Him. This will appear to be God's will, and that will appear to be God's will. Every way will appear to be the right way. Then it is difficult to find God's will even though we try. We should seek after God's will in small things as well as in big things. We should familiarize ourselves with God's will every day so that when something suddenly happens to us, it will not be hard for us to know His will. We should be well acquainted with His will so that we build up for ourselves a habit of knowing His will. Then whatever happens, we will find ourselves knowing His will and acting according to His will. Of course, Satan is most crafty. Once he knows that we are seeking God's will in everything, he will raise many small suggestions in our mind and make us think that this or that is God's will. His suggestions are often contrary to common sense. For example, we may be walking down a road, and the proper way may be to take the main street. But he may tell us to take a winding and tortuous path. These things happen frequently. Every day he will try to counterfeit God's will. He will tell us many things. At these times we should take an opposing stand against Satan. We should do as was mentioned above—test to see if what we have encountered is God's will. At times it is possible for extraordinary things to happen; God may instruct us to take the circuitous way in order to protect us. Although God has His will in everything, God does not annul our reasoning in the small things. After our mind has been renewed by the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit leads us through our reasoning in all the small matters. Therefore, we must not be deceived by Satan in the small things. We should exercise our discernment to differentiate. Sometimes Satan will accuse us when we do not follow his counterfeit will, and tell us that we have gone off from God's will. At such times
we have to withstand him. (Please note that this paragraph only applies to the small things.)
SEEKING AND PRACTICING In seeking to know God's will, we have to be honest and practice what we know. True seeking is always accompanied by practice. It is for the sake of practicing God's will that we seek it. If we have no intention of practicing, what good does it do if we know His will? Knowing God's will without practicing it is offensive to God; it cultivates the flesh and allows it to survive. When the flesh realizes the hardship involved in doing God's will, it shrinks back. If we do not put to death the deeds of the flesh and do not walk according to God's will, our life will suffer a great blow. God wants us to do His will; He is not satisfied with us only knowing His will. He causes us to know His will in order that we will do His will. If we do not do His will, our knowledge is empty knowledge! God has no pleasure in anything other than His will. True knowledge is a matter of practice. Here I should repeat what I have mentioned before: we should have no inclination, self-will, and cravings in our heart. Only then can we know God's will. If we do not have a heart to obey God willingly, He will not reveal to us His will. First there must be a willingness to do His will; then God will spontaneously show us His will. NATURAL UNWILLINGNESS IN THE HEART One frequent problem among us as God's children is that we are naturally unwilling to do God's will. Biases, cravings, and self-will unintentionally appear. It seems that the price of doing God's will is too great, that it contradicts our own will too much, and that it is too much of a hardship for the flesh and too uncomfortable for our own feeling. This does not mean that we do not want to know God's will; we do want to know God's will. But, at the same time, we have our own cravings. Many times we think that if we are willing, we will be finished and our life will be over. The way of deliverance for us is to repeatedly acknowledge God's right over us. We should meditate on the Lord's love, on how He died for us, how He suffered, saved, comforted, forbore, and cared for us. We should obey Him because He has a right over us, and we should be moved to follow Him because of His love. We should meditate on these things until our heart melts and our tears come down. The Lord's love will surely touch us. At the same time, we should ask ourselves, "Is it true that I am not willing to do God's will and that I have my own inclinations? Am I willing to allow God to work on me
until I become willing and until I have no more inclinations?" This means that although we are not willing to do God's will, we are willing to allow God to make us willing to do His will. In other words, in ourselves, we are not willing to do His will in a direct sense. But in an indirect sense, we are willing to allow God to make us willing. To put it in still another way, if it is true that we have no willingness in ourselves to do His will, do we have a willingness to allow God to make us willing? We may not have the first willingness. But do we have the second willingness? If we do not have a willingness to do His will, and if we do not have a willingness to allow Him to make us willing, we will surely not know His will. Even if we know it, it will be useless to us. We will only fall according to our self-will. If we do not have a direct willingness, but have an indirect willingness, God will still work in our hearts or our environment to make us willing. It is amazing that God performs miracles to turn our hearts and make them willing. Sometimes this step takes time. God does not force us to do anything. If we feel that we cannot obey Him and are not willing to allow Him to make us willing, He will surely not work. Philippians 2:13 presents a great truth: "For it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure." This does not say that God will do the willing for us. Rather, it says that God operates in us until we become willing. Therefore, if we are not willing to do God's will, we should have at least one kind of willingness—we should be willing to allow God to turn our unwillingness into willingness and operate in us until we become willing. If a man does not have even a little amount of willingness, what he does will certainly be outside God's will, and not be pleasing to God. But blessed are those who are attracted by God's love, who look forward to the coming glory, who have no reluctance in their hearts to do God's will, and who are always ready and waiting for His command. Happy are these ones! THE CRUCIAL QUESTION George Müller was a man experienced in prayer and in fellowship with the Lord. He said that every time he was about to do something, he always asked himself a few questions. The most important questions he asked were, "Is this God's will? Is this God's will for me? Is this God's time? and, Is this God's way?" He had to wait until he was completely clear about the answers to these questions before he would act. We should learn of him in this matter. If we act cautiously, we will not make mistakes. CONCLUSION
Brothers, if we have indeed fully consecrated ourselves to the Lord, we will see Him restricting us in everything. Many things are excellent and proper in our eyes. We may want to do them, but because they are not God's will, we dare not proceed with them. There may be many works which we deem profitable and precious. We may want to do them, but because they are not God's will, we will not dare to do them. In our thoughts, we should drop everything that is not according to His will. We should do His will and please His heart, rather than please ourselves. Although many things may be precious and desirable to us, for the Lord's sake, we should willingly give them up. What a bondage! Blessed bondage! What restriction! Blessed restriction! What hindrance! Blessed hindrance! Daily we should consider our self-will and self-opinion as gone and shattered. Daily we should suffer the "undesirable" things. The restrictions in the Lord's hand are sweet indeed. Our heart magnifies the Lord. He must increase, and we must decrease. Our heart rejoices at seeing our self stripped and the Lord's will accomplished. May the Lord cause us to always know His will and do it. "Lord, when we suffer through our self being confined, we are truly happy, because You are happy!" "That you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God" (Col. 4:12).
CHAPTER FIVE WHERE IS HEAVEN? FOREWORD The question covered in this book is a very important one. May the readers not read it with curiosity. This article was written to comfort many pilgrims on the heavenly journey. It shows them that our hope is sure. Although the world has many conjectures, the Word of God will not fail. HEAVEN IS A PLACE Heaven is a place and a location. It is not a state of being. The concept that heaven is within man's heart, that it is within man's mind, and that it is the pleasant state of man's being is not scriptural. That is the reasoning of the unbelievers and the curious ones. They base their concept on their imaginations. The heaven mentioned in the Bible is a place. It is in heaven, not within man's heart. The heart of fallen mankind, regardless how good it may be, can never express heaven. Although man may sometimes experience some unspeakable joy, this does not mean that it is heaven. If heaven is merely this, it is rather confined and too ordinary. The heaven mentioned in the Bible is an actual place.
One day those of us who believe in the redemption of the Lord Jesus will enter that place. We will enter into heaven, rather than heaven entering into us. The Lord Jesus Christ mentions His "Father's house" in John 14. He went to prepare a place for the believers. When it is ready, He will surely come again to receive them there. This passage can settle the problem of whether or not heaven is an actual place. When the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, He ascended with His body. The Bible says, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 15:50). After our beloved Lord shed His blood for us on the cross, in His resurrection He spoke of His resurrected body, saying, "For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you behold Me having" (Luke 24:39). After His resurrection, the Lord Jesus' body of "flesh and blood" was changed. Yet He was not only a spirit, but also a person with "flesh and bones." He had a human body. This body was already transformed. It was not like the natural body that was dead (1 Cor. 15:42-44). He was seen by human eyes (Luke 24:34); He was touchable (v. 39); He could eat food (v. 43). The Lord Jesus Christ has now ascended into heaven (v. 51; Acts 1:9-11). If heaven is not a place, how can Jesus Christ physically reside there? If we say that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven with a body, it must mean that heaven is a place. If He has a body, there must also be a place for His body to stay. These two cannot be separated. Without a place, the body cannot possibly exist. Whenever we think of a tangible object, we think of the place it is associated with. The Lord Jesus ascended into heaven with a body. Therefore, heaven must be a place. [Note: In the original language, the Bible gives a distinction between heaven and the heavens. The expression the kingdom of heaven should be translated as "the kingdom of the heavens." The word heavens is plural in number; it may refer to the heavens above all the stars. (The earth has its heaven, and all the stars have their respective heavens.) It may also refer to the many levels of heaven. (Paul mentions "the third heaven.") The word heaven is used in contrast to the earth; it means the place where God's throne is, the place of bliss.] Heaven is a place from which the Lord Jesus descended and in which He still is now. The Lord Jesus descended from heaven to fulfill God's purpose. He redeemed sinners by dying for them on the cross. After the Son of God resurrected, He "passed through the heavens" (Heb. 4:14), "sat...in the heavens" (8:1), and He is "become higher than the heavens" (7:26). Our Savior is not only higher than the things on earth and the things in heaven, He is beyond the realm of all the heavens. The Scripture says, "Therefore also God highly exalted Him"
(Phil 2:9), "...seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Eph. 1:20-21). In studying the Bible, we find out that heaven has at least three levels. Paul mentioned that he was once caught away to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2). Perhaps the first level is where the atmosphere is, the second where the stars are, and the third where the throne of God is. Where is heaven? Some people think that heaven is a certain place in this universe. It is round in shape like a ball rotating on its own and revolving around a center. This center is God's throne. Such a saying is man's idea; it is unreliable. How then can this question be answered? If God's Word (the Bible) clearly tells us where heaven is, then it is possible for us to find its whereabouts. But if the Bible is silent concerning this matter, we need not waste much thought on it. "The things that are hidden belong to Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed, to us and our children forever..." (Deut. 29:29). Therefore, we need not seek to know the secret things of God. Yet, we must desire to know the things of God which are revealed. I believe that many Christians would rejoice to know where heaven is. Thank our Father God that in His Word, He is not silent about this matter.
THE LOCATION OF HEAVEN IS ABOVE The location of heaven mentioned in the Bible is above. When the people built the tower of Babel, God said, "Let us go down" (Gen. 11:7). After God spoke to Abraham, "he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham" (Gen. 17:22). God said to Moses, "And I am come down to deliver them..." (Exo. 3:8). David in praising God said, "He bowed the heavens down, and descended" (Psa. 18:9). Isaiah's prayer said, "Oh that You would rend the heavens, that You would come down..." (Isa. 64:1). The Lord Jesus Himself said, "And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven" (John 3:13), "for I have come down from heaven" (6:38, 42). When the Lord Jesus ascended, the Bible says, "A cloud took Him away....And while they were looking intently into heaven as He went..." (Acts 1:9-10). Stephen, when he was about to die, saw the Son of Man standing to welcome the first martyred servant. He "looked up steadfastly into heaven" (7:55 KJV) and saw the Lord Jesus. The apostle John saw a door opened in heaven, and he heard the voice like a trumpet speaking with him, saying, "Come up here" (Rev.
4:1). When the Lord descends from heaven, all those believers who love Him "will be caught up together with them...to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thes. 4:17). There are many more verses that can be quoted. But these few are enough to prove that heaven, the dwelling place of God, is above. Above? That is right. Yet where is above? The earth we are now living on is spherical in shape. When we say "above," at which point on earth is it "above"? If we say that heaven is above the earth, there is a big difference between whether it is above Nanking or above Kuangchow. The place above North America and the place above China are in two extremes. Naturally, any point directly above the earth must be at right angles with the horizon of the earth. Otherwise, the different points above the different places on the earth would be pointing toward different directions—east, west, north, or south. If so, heaven would not be a definite place, but would be everywhere. However, as mentioned earlier, heaven is a definite place; it is not everywhere. Therefore, "heaven above" cannot be interpreted this way. The Bible also says, "The heavens are higher than the earth" (Isa. 55:9). "For as the heaven is high above the earth..." (Psa. 103:11). Heaven is the highest point in the universe. Christ is now in heaven. He is "far above all the heavens" (Eph. 4:10). Therefore, the heaven where He is must be above all heavens. However, "higher than the earth" does not indicate a definite place, because the shape of the earth is round and the earth is in the midst of a void. Any direction can be a place higher than the round earth. Heaven is a definite place; it is not a place that exists in all directions. Therefore, heaven being higher than the earth should be explained differently. HEAVEN ON THE SIDES OF THE NORTH Let us consider a passage in the Bible which clearly declares where heaven is. Isaiah 14:12-14 says:
How you have fallen from heaven, O Daystar, son of the dawn! How you have been hewn down to earth, You who made nations fall prostrate! But you, you said in your heart: I will ascend to heaven; Above the stars of God I will exalt my throne. And I will sit upon the mount of assembly
On the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.
My intention here is not to interpret the meaning of these few verses, but to mention the points related to the question being studied, i.e., where is heaven. This Lucifer, son of the dawn who fell from heaven, is Satan. If we compare this passage with Luke 10:18, Revelation 12:7-12, and 1 Timothy 3:6, we can see that this one is Satan. However, regardless of who he is, in these verses there is a clear and accurate mention of where heaven is. Isaiah 14:13 mentions the reason why this marvelous personified one fell. He was proud, desirous to rob the position of God and to be like the Most High. Therefore he received God's judgment. He fell from heaven. Hence, his original dwelling place was in heaven; therefore, he knows where heaven is. Here the Bible says that heaven is above the stars of God, on the sides of the north, and above the heights of the clouds; it is also upon the mount of assembly. This Lucifer, son of the dawn, thought that if he could reach this position, he could be like the Most High. We can understand that heaven is above the stars of God and above the heights of the clouds. Yet, what does it really mean for heaven to be on the sides of the north? Let us first look into the meaning of "the mount of assembly" by reading a few passages in the Bible. "And he [Micaiah] said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so" (1 Kings 22:19-22). This passage clearly points out that the place where the throne of God is (i.e. heaven, cf. Matt. 5:34) is the place of assembly. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them" (Job 1:6). After verse 6, the book of Job mentions the question and answer which took place between God and Satan. Here, the sons of God no doubt refer to the angels. As the created ones,
they were called the sons of God. Satan also came for the purpose of accusing the righteous (cf. Rev. 12:8-10). "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; / he judgeth among the gods. / How long will ye judge unjustly....But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes" (Psa. 82:1-2, 7). God divided the universe into regions and ordered the created angels to govern them. These angels are "the mighty" and "the gods" referred to in this psalm (cf. John 10:34-35). God commanded them to do justice (Psa. 82:3-4). However, they sinned by walking in darkness (v. 5). Therefore the Lord judged their sins that they would be punished (vv. 6-7). Daniel 4:17 refers to the "watchers" and the "holy ones." These are the angels under God's authority. They, being in the midst of God's assembly, know God's will and issue the decree. According to the above quotations, it seems that "the mount of assembly" must refer to the heaven where God meets with the angels. Isaiah 14:13 says He is "on the sides of the north." Our conclusion is that heaven is on the sides of the north. Previously, we have said that heaven is "above." This posed a problem. But if we say that heaven is in the north, such a problem will not exist anymore. The four directions are east, west, south, and north. East and west differ from north and south logically. For instance, though there is the distinction of east and west on earth, no one can distinguish between the far east and the far west. If one travels towards the east, he will never reach the extreme east; eventually, he will return to his starting point. This is due to the fact that the shape of the earth is round. There is no possibility for one to reach the extreme east or the extreme west. But north and south are different. They are the two poles of the earth with the north being on the top and the south on the underside. We often say "up north" or "down south," never "up south," or "down north." North is above. When we look at a map, we indicate east, west, south, and north by right, left, down, and up, respectively. We also represent the four directions by our two hands, head, and feet. Our head represents the north, which is above. Therefore, the verses quoted from the Scriptures above prove that heaven is above, which implies that heaven is in the north. Isaiah 55:9 also says that the heavens are "higher than the earth." Except for the north, no other direction can be higher than the earth. The north of any place on earth always points to one direction. This direction is above all other directions. Therefore, north is the highest point. If heaven is in any direction, then
nothing more can be deduced. But if heaven is in a certain direction and at the same time "higher than the earth," then heaven cannot be anywhere else but in the north.
Psalms 48:2 also mentions "in the uttermost parts of the north" (according to the original text). "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, / is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, / the city of the great King." It seems this Mount Zion, the city of the great King, refers to the earthly Jerusalem because it is "the joy of the whole earth." But it also implies the heavenly Jerusalem. The earthly Jerusalem is not in the uttermost parts of the north. Therefore, this mount should at least imply "Mount Zion...the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 12:22). This is heaven. Psalms 75:1 says, "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, / unto thee do we give thanks: / for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare." This is the praise by the psalmist. Verse 2 continues: "When I shall find the set time, I will judge uprightly" [ASV]. This is spoken by God. "When I shall find the set time" is also translated as "when I shall receive the congregation" [KJV]. This is related to the "mount of assembly" (heaven) in Isaiah 14. Psalms 75:3-7 says, "The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: / I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. / I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: / and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: / lift not up your horn on high: / speak not with a stiff neck. / For promotion cometh neither from the east, / nor from the west, nor from the south. / But God is the judge: / he putteth down one, and setteth up another." Here, God warns the people not to seek help from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. It is very meaningful that He does not include north as a direction not to call for help! When we read the expression "For promotion cometh neither from the east, / Nor from the west, nor from the south," naturally we would think that promotion comes from the north. Following the words "neither from the east, / nor from the west, nor from the south," it says, "But God is the judge." We can see that the unmentioned north is intimately related to God's dwelling. Although God did not ask the people to seek help from the north, it is evident that the heaven where God dwells is in that direction. Where God receives the assembly and executes His justice and judgment is in the north. When the prophet Ezekiel saw a vision of God, he beheld a whirlwind that "came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the
fire" (Ezek. 1:4). The "cloud," "brightness," and "amber" all represent God's glory, which is from the north. In the book of Ezekiel, this word "north" is mentioned over forty times, and it is quite often amazingly related to God's administration and God's glory. Zechariah 6:6-8 says, "The black horses went forth to the land of the north, and the white horses went forth after them, and the speckled horses went forth to the land of the south. And the strong horses went forth and sought to proceed to go to and fro on the earth. And He said, Proceed to go to and fro on the earth; and they went to and fro on the earth. Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, See, these who are going forth to the land of the north have given My Spirit rest in the land of the north." Here the use of the word "north" is also very significant. The earth's geographic and magnetic poles both point toward the north. How wonderful it is! Who can know the reason why the compass always points towards the north? In the Constellation of the Swan in the north, there is a place where the surroundings are all stars, yet this space is without any star. This empty space is known by some astronomers as the "dark nebula" or by others as the "rift of the sky." Job 26:7 says, "He [God] stretcheth out the north over the empty place." Can this "empty place" not be the same as the "rift"? If the uttermost part of the north is in the midst of this, then should heaven not also be in it? We will certainly find out one day! Job 26:7 is another good proof of heaven being in the uttermost part of the north. "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, / and hangeth the earth upon nothing." Here, "the earth" and "the north" are in opposition. "Nothing" refers to the atmospheric air enveloping the earth. If "nothing" means the atmosphere, then the empty place over which the north is placed cannot be the same atmosphere. It must be where heaven is. Heaven is therefore in the north. Astronomers tell us that the entire solar system—the sun, the planets, and the earth—are all traveling toward this "rift" at a velocity of more than twenty miles a second! That is equivalent to almost 72,000 miles per hour! Why would our Lord allow the inhabited earth to travel toward the north? Who can say there is no purpose in this phenomenon? Today the theory of heaven being a definite place has been under numerous attacks and mockings. What we have studied in this book is not of utmost importance. The important thing is to believe that there is a place called heaven.
Heaven is a place prepared for those who are prepared. Do you desire this? Are you prepared for it?
CHAPTER SIX UNIVERSAL FATHERHOOD: A FALLACY FOREWORD The teaching of a universal fatherhood, that is, the teaching that says everyone in the world is a child of God, is one of the many important questions in these days. If all the people in the world are God's children, then they do not have to repent, they do not have to confess their sins, and there is no need to receive the Lord Jesus as Savior. Since all are already children of God, there is no need to have any new relationship with God. However, if this is not the case, then the gracious gospel revealed in the Bible becomes necessary. God is willing to save the world which is at enmity with Him. This is the gospel. Hence, we are willing to look into what God in His Bible has taught us concerning this matter. May God open our eyes that we will not be deceived by the philosophy of this world. At present, there is a very popular and modernistic teaching which says that God is the Father of all mankind and that all people in the world are brothers and children of God. Some reason that at the time the Lord Jesus was born, the Jews had a very narrow concept of God. For this reason, Christ purposely made known the matter of the universal fatherhood in order to make people understand that He was not a mighty and terrifying God, but a very kind and loving Father. That was why He taught the disciples to pray, saying, "Our Father who is in the heavens" (Matt. 6:9). This kind of saying is very appealing to people, but it is a sugar-coated, poisonous pill. This pleases the unregenerated, fleshly people, because they do not have to worry about their sins. God is their Father, and no father would send his son to hell as a punishment. They do not have to be born again, they do not need to repent, they do not need to abstain from sin, nor do they have to bear fruit. Since God is their Father, He loves them. They do not have to believe or rely on the Lord Jesus, nor do they have to receive Him as their Savior because they are already the children of God. They think that God only loves, so He will not punish the wicked by eternal damnation. This kind of teaching is extremely dangerous. It is the enemy of the gospel and the destroyer of man's faith. It deceives people, leads people into eternal suffering, and makes them hopeless cases. When Christ came, although He
called God His Father, He did not preach that God was the Father of everyone. Rather, He told the people that they should have a change of father in order to be saved. The Lord Jesus only referred to God as the Father of His disciples, not as the universal Father. We must pay attention to this point. Thank God that He has given us the Bible to be our tutor. God's Word is infallible. God's Word is our supreme court, and it answers all our questions. All human reasonings have no standing before God's Word. Our God does not leave His people in the dark. He will give discernment to those who are humble; He will teach the meek His way. If we are truly humble, meek, and willing to be taught, God will surely teach us. "If anyone resolves to do His will, he will know concerning the teaching" (John 7:17). May the Holy Spirit of God lead us in this study that we may understand the teachings of the Bible. THE GOD REVEALED BY THE LORD JESUS There are many times in the Old Testament when God is called the Father. Isaiah 63:16 says, "For You are our Father." Jeremiah 31:9 says, "I am a Father to Israel." However, the way to enter into the Holy of Holies had not yet been opened; therefore, the beloved Israelites still could not have an intimate fellowship with God like that of a father and son. When the Lord Jesus came, He revealed the fatherhood of God. In the Sermon on the Mount, seventeen times the Lord Jesus referred to God as the Father. Except for the last time (Matt. 7:21), when He called God His own Father, all the other times He said, "your heavenly Father," "your Father," or "our Father who is in the heavens." In Matthew there are altogether forty-three references to God as the Father, and of these, twenty-one refer to Him as the Father of His disciples. There are five references in Mark, twice as the Father of the Lord Jesus, once as the Father only, and the remaining two times as the Father of the disciples. Luke mentions God as the Father two times, God as the Father of the disciples three times, and God as the Father of the Lord Jesus eight times. John, the gospel of the Son of God, refers to God as the Father one hundred fourteen times. With the exception of the last section, the whole book refers to God as the Father of the Lord Jesus. In chapters fourteen to seventeen alone, in His last discourse and prayer, our Lord called God the Father about fifty times. Without a doubt the Lord Jesus intended to reveal God as the Father. At the end of His prayer, He said, "And I have made Your name known to them" (John 17:26). This name is the Father. The God whom the Lord Jesus revealed is the Father. This is right. However, even though the Lord Jesus revealed God's fatherhood, we must determine if